Shaded
by IamZerokun
Summary: AU-Minato made a mistake. The Reaper Death Seal was only meant to seal things into the caster, not into another human being. Minato, in saving the Leaf from the Kyuubi, may have created the vilest monster to ever walk the Elemental Nations. The only things keeping Naruto from plunging into the pit of madness are The Kyuubi and his will. THIS IS DEAD AS OF 10/1/17
1. Shadows cometh Part 1

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood, hands pressed against the barrier jutsu his successor erected faster than he could perform a substitution. He pounded his wrinkled fist against the sealing construct frustrated that he would have to watch Minato do battle with the most powerful biju in existence. He allowed his hands to fall, and determination to set into his eyes. Without looking away from the face off in front of him, he barked out orders.

"Squad two, I want everyone without S rank clearance under Minato out of here. Squads one, three and four, containment, three feet from the barrier line. If Minato fails, he will weaken it at least, and we can contain it. Squad Five, Status of the Village, and if you can, find out who the hell started this mess. Minato wouldn't have allowed the Kyuubi to escape unless there was a third party."

Within an instant the twenty animal masked shinobi disappeared to follow their orders. As soon as those blurs moved away, two more took their place, solidifying into a younger man and a middle aged one. The middle aged one had long hair and pale pink eyes. With a mumbled word, the veins around his eyes bulged and he glared at the barrier in front of the Third Hokage of Konohagakure.

"Sandieme-sama. Why is Minato conversing with the Kyuubi?" The Hyuuga asked.

"I don't know Hiashi. For all we know, the Kyuubi is sentient enough to hold conversation. Kakashi-kun, why are you here?" The Third growled.

"Kushina is dead Hokage-Sama. She saved my life from a kunai I couldn't see coming while I was transporting her to a secondary location under Sensei's orders." A tear fell from under the dog mask the young shinobi with gray gravity defying hair wore.

"Damn it…did you get visual on the assailant?"

"Yes, around my height, wearing a weird mask flame pattern. My Sharingan detected two kinds of chakra around him, as if he was under a genjutsu. But he didn't look like any chakra I have seen in the village." Came the tart reply. "However Kushina stated 'Him. He took Kyuubi' before she passed."

"Hiashi do you see anyone who shouldn't be here?" Hiruzen asked.

"No hokage-sama, no one other than… wait, is that a baby in the barrier with Minato!?" Hiashi exclaimed.

"Minato! No! Kakashi, go to the Uchiha, I want every member on patrol, find the assailant, he unleashed the Kyuubi. Go." Sarutobi sank to his knees as he watched his successor say his final words to both the Kyuubi who was being dragged into the babe's body, and the baby itself. Finally, as Minato slumped over his son, and the barrier dropped, the Kyuubi made eye contact with Hiruzen.

"Minato was both a fool and a hero. I will try to keep this one sane…But I hold little hope. It is likely that Minato just created a monster Old Monkey." With that he was sealed into the boy, along with multiple colored lights that Hiruzen didn't see around.

"Hiashi, status on the sealing of the boy, and I want details!" Sarutobi darted forward to gently place Minato's body on the ground beside the sealing alter.  
"He is alive, the Kyuubi's chakra seems to be wrapping around another chakra. It's something I have never seen before sir. The boy has two, five, twelve, thirty, what is this? There seems to be close to forty other small chakras other than the Kyuubi sealed in the seal... they are slowly absorbing one another blending, and growing."

"Are they a threat to the sealing, the child, or the village?" Hiruzen demanded.

"I don't know. The Tailed Beasts are unique in that they never run out of chakra, and that they have intensely dense chakra. Each tail symbolizes how dense the chakra is. At least that is our current understanding. But these other chakras aren't as dense, but there are so many of them. Each is easily the chakra pool of a jonin, and there are still over forty colors slowly absorbing each other." Hiashi spoke as he stared at the seal.  
"Since we must assume that Minato knew what he was doing, we must finish and lock the seal. Unless you see anything other than what you just said Hiashi." Sarutobi stood and prepared himself.

"I do not see anything else Hokage-sama" the Hyuuga dutifully replied.

The Third Hokage dashed through twelve handseals faster than even Hiashi could see, before placing his glowing palm on the seal. "Fuin-condense!"

The baby started to scream.

The Kyuubi growled at the three entities slowly being condensed into one. Before his very eyes, the blob started to assume human shape. A high artesian nose, smooth square jaw, with a mane of red hair cascading down to its shoulders like a waterfall of blood. A breath escapes his lips as his eyes snap open.

The Kyuubi tensed as his red eyes met the maroon eyes of the being in front of him. "Who are you?"

The being smiled, madness shining in his eyes. "We are Viscrag, and this boy is OURS!"


	2. Shadows cometh Part 2

The Kyuubi roared in defiance, blasting the water that was filling the mindscape back from the force. "Yours?! You insolent whelp! Do you know who I am?!"

"Of course we do Kyuubi- _sama_ " Viscrag sneered as its head tilted.

The gigantic fox swiped at the entity, intent on destroying whatever it is. Viscrag moved backwards, seemingly teleporting from one place to another. The entity darted forward to counter when he stopped, looked down at its chest and grimaced.

"How did you touch us? We were faster. We know we were faster." Viscrag snarled at the titanic fox.

"You are a thousand years too young to dodge me, _shade_. This boy is free. All demons know the Laws. The innocent are free, and can choose their roles. You will not use this boy as a weapon, and you aren't strong enough to beat me to take him either." The Kyuubi turned his back on the entity and started running deeper into the seal. ' _I have given you some time Boy, as long as you stay pure, we have a chance to not be assimilated by this thing,'_ The titanic beast thought

"Get back here! Don't you dare ignore us! We are all, we are one. You will fall!" Viscrag started to run after the Nine Tailed Fox. A maniac smile stretched across his face.

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The baby screamed as his golden sun drenched hair flashed maroon, and a feeling of pure madness and malice rose in the air. Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief when the hair reverted back to sun-kissed yellow and the screaming of the infant ceased.

"This is an S-class secret. I am unsure what that was, but it was not a result of sealing the Kyuubi. Did you see anything out of the ordinary Hiashi?" Hiruzen scooped the child up as he asked his question.

"Yes Hokage-sama, his chakra…it seemed to form into wailing faces when his hair was red. As if his very chakra was screaming." Hiashi shuddered as he terminated his Byakugan.

"What did you do Minato? Hiashi, I want you, your brother, or your wife watching this child for the next week. I want to know if this is isolated, if the seal is stable, and if we have...we have to terminate the container to save the village." At the last statement, Hiruzen's steady voice broke.

"I don't think the latter is a valid solution Hokage-Sama, we don't know what is inside that seal along with the Kyuubi. If what the Kyuubi said before is accurate, we may be dealing with something that is worse than even it is." Hiashi replied as the duo began jumping through the trees toward the nearest ANBU squadron.

"What we don't know is if Minato screwed up. I am going to do research into the seal he used, maybe I'll find something that will explain what is going on. Until we know for sure, all options are on the table." Hiruzen settled on a branch before barking his next orders,"Minato is dead, Hawk, gather his body, and burn all other evidence. As of now, I am the acting Hokage. Boar, I want a complete village status report on my desk in two hours. Take every one else here to do so. Hiashi, gather the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. You both have the oldest archives available. If we are to understand what we just saw, we have to look deep. Well? What are you waiting for? Move people!" Hiruzen jumped toward Konoha.

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Kakashi raced after the blur that just hopped the outer wall. This monster took everything from him, everything he had left. His sensei, Sensei's wife, little Naruto-kun, Koi-chan and just now tried to take the Hiraishin scroll from Sensei's home. Luckily, that was where Kakashi had met with Uchiha Patrol 3. Looking at thirteen Sharingan eyes seemed to stop the man in his tracks. A simple command followed the assailant's disappearance. "Hunt him."

A younger Uchiha jumped up level with Kakashi,"ANBU-san, we can't keep this up, someone has to go back to tell Hokage-sama what is happening. Also, it is the Uchiha Police's responsibility to order the village after tragic events. We have to turn back."

Kakashi's fist tightened before he nodded. "Retreat back to the village. Assume hostile forces are after you. I will continue chasing the target until he reaches the second patrol ring. If I can catch the bastard, I'll engage." With that, he disappeared in a Shunshin.

"You heard him, we move back towards the village. Formation C12!" The young Uchiha barked his commands as he started jumping back toward the village.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the chair he vacated three years ago. The only difference he found in the office was a photograph on the desk that showed Minato and Kushina smiling affectionately at each other. He rocked the bundled baby in his arms absently as he stared at the photo. ' _Minato, you were a great Kage. Everyone loved you, even the Uchiha. I saw your notes from earlier, and already you had plans to better the village both long and short term.'_ A knock on his door interrupted his musings.

"Enter!" Sarutobi said before scowling at the person who just entered the room.

"Hiruzen? Why are you here? Where is Hokage-sama?" Danzo asked

"Danzo, sit. We have to talk." Once his order was obeyed, Hiruzen continued. " Minato died less than an hour ago. He died sealing the Kyuubi into this child."

Danzo opened his mouth to speak, his mind racing through possibilities.

"Shut up. The only reason you are alive right now, is because Minato's notes state that you haven't been an issue so far. Change that, and I will dye this office red in your blood. Now, I have a job for you and your Root."

"My Root? That was disban-" Danzo countered before being silenced by the killer intent of the Professor.

"Danzo, _shut up._ We both know better. Now, I want you to find as much information on the Reaper Death Seal as possible. I should also mention that it's a kinjutsu that is classified because it's a suicide technique. The only way you could use it to get rid of me is by doing it yourself, and we both know you are much too afraid of death to do that." Sarutobi smirked at the frown on his former rival's face.

"What do you want me to look up exactly? We have the exact effects of the seal in the Forbidden Scroll." Danzo was confused. Hiruzen knew exactly what that seal did, and the cost. Why was he wanting more information? What was he playing at?

"I am aware of what is the Scroll Danzo, though you shouldn't be. What I want to know is what happens when you seal more than one thing using it." Sarutobi responded.

"It is not possible. The seal itself responds only as a singular matrix, to seal multiple things would mean that they are actually one in the same."

"Not quite. Remember Tobirama-sensei's lesson on Fuinjutsu. He said that certain seals are only written as a singular matrix and are in reality multi-matrixed. If that is the case, then Minato either knew, or he screwed up. Something _else_ is in that seal with the Kyuubi. And I need to know what it is." Hiruzen locked eyes with Danzo.

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Kakashi finally caught up to the masked man. His left arm started to crackle with blue lightning, before he disappeared.

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Hiashi hopped atop the rooftops of the village, Fugaku Uchiha right beside him. They were quickly joined by a young Uchiha Police officer. _'A captain of a patrol? And not even 12 yet? Impressive'_ Hiashi noted of the youth.

"Shisui, what is wrong?" Fugaku asked as they continued across the rooftops.

"Fugaku-sama, Hyugga-sama. Patrol 3 just returned from past patrol ring 3. We were pursuing the intruder with an ANBU agent. Dog I believe his mask was. I was just on my way to brief Hokage-sama. Anbu-san insisted on ensuring the threat was past the second patrol ring."Shisui replied succinctly.

"Shisui, tell me what you thought of the intruder." Fugaku ordered.

"Bluntly sir? He was damn good. He was out pacing an ANBU, and six Jonin level Uchiha. In fact, if we weren't in the village when we first encountered him, I don't doubt that he would have attacked. The feeling I got from him was similar to what I got from Yondaime-sama whenever he entered battle." Shisui said. "No, that isn't right though. It was similar more to when Grandfather got mad. A cold calculating anger was projected from him when he caught sight of us. Then he bolted."

"Grandfather?" Hiashi asked as the Hokage Tower loomed ever closer.

"My apologies Hyuuga-sama, Grandfather is what we call Fugaku-sama's father-in-law. He was one of the strongest Uchiha in memory, but gave up battle after his daughter was born." Shisui answered Hiashi's question.

"Renchi Uchiha-sama is still alive? Incredible. I should ask for tea with him sometime." Hiashi replied as they finally reached the tower. ShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadeShadedShadedShadedS

Danzo slammed his cane into the concrete floor. "I want teams four through sixteen to pack up, we are leaving! Teams one through three, you are to go to facility twelve, and look in the archives for any information on the reaper death seal. Teams seventeen through twenty, find any remnants of the Kyuubi's chakra and place it in this sealing jug. This will safely contain it until we can use it later."

Instantly, all twenty teams of blank masked shinobi vanished, leaving Danzo in an empty room.

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The Kyuubi jerked his body to the left and stared wide eyed at the massive piece of stone that flew past him. "Great Sage that is some strength." He mumbled as he turned around.

Splash, splish,splash splish. The water rippled with every step as Viscrag entered the room. "Finally done running Kyuubi- _sama_? Finally decided we are the one way? Good!" The entity started to laugh as he strode closer to the Nine Tailed Fox.

"Running? Sage, you are stupid. I don't run. I lead. Just like I led you right here!" The Kyuubi roared and flashed forward.

Viscrag's eyes widened in disbelief as a massive wall of iron bars appeared behind him. He growled in pain as the Kyuubi's massive paw slammed him into the unyielding iron. "Is that the best you have? We will not fall that easily!"  
"Of course it's not all. But that all I need." The Kyuubi smirked at the confusion in the eyes of the thing in front of him.

Viscrag looked up as hundreds of chains appeared from the ceiling of the room. "What is this? What are you doing to us?!"

"This is the Sealing Chamber. This is where everything in this seal centers on. I can't erase you from existence, your kind are much too enduring for that, but you sure can join me in my hell!" The Kyuubi started to laugh as the chains tightened around the Shade and the iron bars fell ever faster to form their cage.


	3. Shadows cometh Part 3

Kakashi hobbled into the village exhausted. He slumped against the wall of the nearest building and held up a torn piece of fabric. He thought about how the masked man got away.

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His Raikiri blasted the trunk of the tree into a shower of splinters. Yet there was no blood, no sinew nothing to indicate a body.

"You missed ANBU-san," A highly distorted voice, due north north west.

Another Raikiri burst to life on his arm as he shunshined towards the voice.

Another tree falls.

"You missed again ANBU-san."

Kakashi freezes as he feels cold steel against his throat.

"I could gut you like a fish ANBU-san. The only thing that is stopping me is my compassionate nature." The masked man joked.

Kakashi's eyes darted around looking for something to get him away from this madman.

"Don't worry ANBU-san, you aren't even talking to the real me." With that Kakashi flared his chakra to perform a substitution. The world shattered like glass.

Kakashi hit his knees breathing heavily. He looked around. Only one tree was destroyed, with a strip of cloth in the splinters of the trunk.

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Kakashi slowly climbed the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Enter!" The voice called within.

He entered and was told to report.

"Hokage-sama, Dog reporting in. The target.. escaped. He went toward Iwa until twelve miles to the border. Then we slanted west. It was around a mile after this that I caught up. He…He caught me in a genjutsu after dodging my Raikiri, and I have no idea how he did it." Kakashi slumped on the couch under the window panting.

"Threat ranking?" The elderly Kage asked.

"S rank easily. He was fast enough and capable enough to keep me from killing him. He was also aware of what side my sharingan was in the genjustu. He positioned the kunai so I couldn't get a reflection back to even see the illusion. Also from the way he jumped, he was injured either recently, or significantly. He favors his left side when tree hopping."

"That isn't enough for a bingo book entry. We will have to put an unofficial eye out then. Dog, dismissed, you are to stay off duty pending evaluation. No arguments." Sarutobi added as he saw his subordinate about to protest. "Dismissed."

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The Kyuubi howled as he tore his arm from the chains, leaving his massive paw around Viscrag. The stump of the great limb slowly bubbled before the beginnings of a paw started to regrow.

"Hehehe, we knew you felt pain. Even the great Kyuubi-sama feels pain. If you feel pain, you know what we are. You know we are the all, and the one. We belong together…" Viscrag giggled.

"You are nothing but a beast. A feral animal that is difficult to put down. But I will. I will erase your existence and dine on your souls shade. And I will love it." The Kyuubi settled down and shut its eyes.

"We will live… we will be victorious… this is our world… and we will burn it…" Viscrag's voice slowly faded away as he fell into a deep sealed sleep.

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2 years later

Danzo walked through his underground compound. The clenched hand on his cane the only sign of his agitation to the outside world. He had just returned from a meeting with Hiruzen and once again, he proved how weak he truly was. ' _He had all the information to create what was in essence jinchuuriki for nothing. Konoha needed that strength. Yet still his proposal was denied for being "too extreme". Extreme was what was needed! But fine, if Hiruzen won't do what is necessary then I shall.'_

Danzo stopped before a wooden door with the number one painted on it. It opened as soon has he tapped it once with his cane.

"Danzo-sama. How may I serve?" An aged shinobi sat at a shabby desk. His brown hair was streaked with gray and his face had many wrinkles. Yet his body was still well muscled and his hand was steady as he continued his writing.

"Ezo, I want facility C upgraded to S-rank security. All faculty there are instructed to kill on sight should a breach occur. Gather any five of the lower seventy percent of recruits. They must have large reserves, and have emotions still. It's time to begin operation Shadow Force."

"My lord, you are aware that those things are basically immortal correct? In order to kill one it requires a heart piercing attack, and each one is as fast as any jonin."

"That is why you will be stationed there full time. Your only requirement is to ensure that it is both a success and that any failures are terminated before they become a threat. Understood?"

"Yes Danzo-sama."

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3 years later

Danzo stared out a window surrounded by concrete. He stared down into a pit whose walls were lined with fuinjutsu script. This was it, the culmination of years of hard work. Finally, after 55 failures he would finally have his weapon. Konoha would finally have its strength. He nodded towards the Root agent at the bottom of the pit to begin.

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The Boy in the Pit

The young boy was maybe ten. He honestly didn't remember his age. It's hard to remember a number when you are either always hungry or always cold. He did know that whatever these people were doing to him was weird and that he didn't like it. He couldn't tell them that of course, they put a rag in his mouth. At least that was clean. He thought so anyway.

The guy in front of him started doing weird finger combinations. He thinks one of the other orphan boys called them hand signs. But what is the pretty lights all around him? Is this some sort of weird ninja thing? What is going on. Wait, they are getting closer. They are so warm. They feel so good against his skin, wait what ow. Why why are they being pushed inside me. OW please stop, please please stop.  
 _I am sorry child.. the humans are cruel creatures. They deserve to die._  
'Please just make it stop. It hurts so much. It burns. My chest.. my arms. My legs. I cant feel my fingers. Oh Kami please..'  
 _Shhhh.. soon it will be over. We promise. Soon Pain wont exist anymore..  
_ 'No pain? No more hunger? What would that be like I wonder. No, you are causing me pain. You don't belong here. '  
 _Of course we don't belong here! WE AREN'T MEANT TO BE HERE! THESE HUMANS HAVE BROUGHT US FORTH TO CAUSE YOU PAIN. You don't matter to them!  
_ 'No, that's not right, the old man that came to me said he would take care of me. That I would matter. I matter to someone!'  
 _HE IS LAUGHING AT YOU. Laughing as you cry in agony from his agents forcing us inside you. WE DON'T DESERVE THIS. Give in to us. We will ease all your pain, all of your suffering. We will make you matter.  
_ The pain grew, and grew. The young boy coughed up blood before finally starting to laugh.  
'I accept'

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Danzo

The multicolored lights slowly eased into the boy over the course of ten minutes. Finally, when all the lights were inside, the boy started to seize up, and foul dark nearly black chakra erupted from him. A storm of the chakra formed hiding him from view. Slowly the storm dissipated, and the boy stood. Now with a lithe build and looking closer to sixteen than ten, the boy tossed back his blood colored hair and started to laugh.

"What is your name child?" Danzo tapped the intercom button before speaking.

"Name? We are Saud. We are many." Saud tilted his head as his maroon eyes flickered toward every living thing in the pit with him.

Danzo notices the eyes easily picking his agents from around the walls of the pit. "Saud, I am Danzo. And you are what I created. You owe your existence to me. In fact, you have a seal. You can never harm me as long as it is on your body. You will obey me."

"Saud doesn't obey. Saud only does what we want. We... we want FREEDOM!" At that cry, Saud drops down into a crouch and catches the two kunai that were headed for his temples. Using those kunai he slashes the throats of another two agents that come from above. Using their bodies as platforms, he jumps toward a group of six operatives, each going through handsigns. Before they can finish them, Saud is in their midst, slashing. He kicks the final agent of that group into a wall as hard as he can. He laughs as the man chest caves in from the pressure. He laughs harder as the bodies of the rest of the group fall in a shower of blood.

"Ezo! Eliminate the threat!" Danzo barks to the shadowed corner behind him.

Ezo shunshins into the pit, and tenses. The only thing alive in the pit other than himself is Saud. In less than two seconds he had slaughtered the twelve shinobi in the pit with him. Of course each was barely Chunin level, but the losses were substantial. Ezo eases the tanto from his back and shoots forward.

Saud laughs at the blood that drips from his stolen kunai. That is when he feels it. The air changing, a slight pressure increase, mid-back right above his- he darts to the left but isn't fast enough to dodge the piercing stab through his lung. "Hehehe you missed Saud's black heart. So sad. We will enjoy killing you." Saud snaps his elbow back but before it makes contact the sword and its owner are gone.

"Ohh you are fast. We like the chase." Saud blocks a slash with one kunai effortlessly holding Ezo back with a single arm. "You aren't very strong though. We hate weaklings." Saud disappears, and reappears on the windowsill that shows Danzo through the glass. Ezo's headless torso hits the ground as Saud gleefully presses the masked head against the glass, staring into Danzo's eye.

"See we want freedom, we get freedom. We can't Kill you. We know that. We feel it. But we know.. oh we know the limits. You will die because of this. Saud promises." With that final warning, Saud slams the head through the glass and disappears, his echoing laughter ringing in Danzo's ears.

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	4. Shadows cometh part 4

7 years later

Naruto Uzumaki darted toward the Academy. He was very late today. And today was a day he couldn't be late. Today was the day all that hard work and talking to Jiji and Smoker-san finally payed off. Today was his graduation exam. Today was the day he became a shinobi.  
' _It wont matter'_  
'Yea it will! I'll be the best shinobi this village has. And then Everyone will accept me!' Naruto thought in response to the creepy high voice in his skull. Wait? A voice? Didn't Jiji say something about that once?

"If you ever hear a voice inside you that seems off. Come to me. You are important Naruto-Kun, and such voices are dangerous." The Sandaime inside Naruto's memories puffed smoke.

Naruto sped up the pace, the exam will wait.

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Hiruzen dutifully filled out the paperwork that came with his position. In his mind however he was thinking of Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki was in many ways a mystery to Sarutobi. Most of the time he was a happy-go-lucky child who had large dreams of being accepted by more than Hiruzen. But there were times…Hiruzen thought back to a fight that happened three years ago, where Naruto made his first, if extremely shy, admirer.

" _Haha look at her! Her eyes are so weird. I bet she is blind! Why would a blind girl wanna be a shinobi?" A younger boy shoved a small girl into the muck. His friends kicked more mud onto the girl to cover her jacket. "She doesn't even see all the mud on her! Do ya? Can ya see?"_

" _Moron, you are talking to a Hyuuga, of she can see. Thinking they are better than all of us, just cuz of their different eyes." A random genin walks up and slams his foot into Hinata's stomach. Tears start to fall from her eyes. "That's right little hyuuga bitch, cry." He pulled his leg back for another kick when a shout interrupted the attack._

" _What the hell are you doing?" A small boy, with sun-kissed blond hair, intensely cerulean eyes, and a furious expression on his face stood at the entrance of the glade._

" _Brat, go back to your mommy, and shut up." The genin sneered at the boy._

" _Mommy? The kid doesn't have a mommy! He's an orphan and nobody wants him!" one of the younger bullies laughed after saying that. Naruto's eyes flashed maroon and a sick smile started to form on his lips._

" _I will enjoy this.." his voice, once high and boyish, was overlayed with another darker voice._

 _The young boys staggered back as the blond appeared in front of them. "Slime don't get to have fun. And you, you are slime" Naruto punches the genin as he kicks out at the young boy who pushed Hinata. He smiled as the genin flew into a tree from the force. The young boy flew to the other side of the grove. Quickly the rest of the bullies and the Genin bolted out of the area._

 _Suddenly, a blur appeared between Naruto and Hinata. "Step away from the heiress Uzumaki-san. I am not permitted to allow you access."_

" _Where the hell were you Hyuuga?" Naruto asked the Hyuuga man in front of him._

" _I was gathering groceries, as I was supposed to. Did something happen?" Ko asked confused. He had shunshined toward the grocery and back. He was only gone ten minutes, surely nothing bad could have happened in that time._

" _Ya idiot! Hinata-chan was getting bullied! But don't worry, I took care of it." Naruto proudly declared._

" _The Hyuuga are in your debt then, Uzumaki-san. Come Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama will want to know about this." Ko gathered his bags and gently placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder. Before they disappeared, Hinata said "T-Th-Thank You Uzumaki-san."_

Hiruzen remembered the aftermath well. The following council session, or as Minato called them in his notes, vulture gathering, the blonds blood was demanded for "harming his betters". Hiruzen had to disband the session in order to have order. Hiashi interestingly enough asked to adopt the boy privately afterward, with Fugaku asking the same. Fugaku claimed that from the report, the boy had either the Sharingan or a trait like it. Hiashi claimed that the Hyuuga were honor bound to take care of him as he took care of one of theirs. Hiruzen stated that instead of adopting the boy, they would have dual-wardship as soon as Naruto became a genin.

The door bursting open interrupted his reminisces. "Jiji! I just heard a creepy voice in my head!" The boy he was just thinking about blurted as soon as the door bounced shut.

"What did you just say Naruto-kun?" The Professor asked seriously.  
"I was runnin, and thinking about you helping me with that new Justu, and then I heard it. It said it didn't matter what I did… and it was weird and high pitched and You said to come to you if anything like that ever happened." Naruto rambled.

"I see. Well, today is your graduation exam, go take that, then come back. By then I'll have a plan and more information Naruto-kun. Thank you for obeying me." The elderly Hokage gently ruffled the youngster's hair with a smile.

Naruto unconsciously leaned into the affectionate gesture, basking in the praise of one of his only companions.

"Naruto-kun, there are other things we must talk about when you graduate. There have been a few developments with your situation." Hiruzen baited the hook, to ensure his young shinobi would be motivated. "But I won't be able to tell you until you are a genin of Konoha."

"Jiji, when you say situation, you mean my adoption situation right? Jiji someone wants me?" Tears started to pool in his eyes.

"Naruto-kun, of course people want you, that's not why you haven't been adopted yet. You haven't been adopted yet because of other factors. I'll explain after your exam. Here, take this note to Iruka. It will excuse you from the written portion that you are undoubtedly going to interrupt." The elderly man handed the youngest person in the room a note, before sending him off to begin his journey as a shinobi of the Leaf.

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Naruto smiled as his kunai and shuriken sailed true. With a solid thump of metal hitting wood, he passed the throwing portion of the exam. Now all he had to do was the three jutsu, then he would know exactly who wants him.

"Uzumaki, Naruto. You are up first." Iruka sensei smiled at him as he walked up. "C'mon Naruto. Give me a substitution, hedge and then three Bunshin."

With a confident smile, Naruto made a cross handsign "Kage Bunshin Jutsu!"  
A blast of smoke, and there were seven Narutos around. Swiftly, they each started Substituting with chairs, each other, and even Iruka once. Finally they each held up the ram sign before transforming into ANBU agents, Iruka, Hiruzen, and Ko Hyuuga.

"Very good Naruto! All that training with Sandaime-sama paid off didn't it? Here. Ramen is on me tonight." Iruka tossed the young boy his new headband. After years as his sensei, he knew exactly what being a shinobi meant to his favorite student. It was his escape, his key to his dreams. He also knew exactly what Naruto was. He was the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. He was the jailor and prison of the most powerful entity in the Elemental Nations. He never understood how others could treat him terribly. The easiest way to break a seal is to damage the material it is drawn on. Its why few shinobi ever had seal tattoos. The last thing anyone wanted was the seal to be nicked, and all of a sudden the shinobi had a sword sticking out of his arm. Or worse.

"Catcha later Iruka-sensei, I gotta meet Jiji after this. He is gonna be so excited!" Naruto darted out the door, waving at his classmates as he passed.

Naruto quickly entered the Hokage Office portion of the Academy. He waved to the nice secretary, and pressed the door open. "Jiji! Guess what! I did it…" He cut off at seeing the other people in the office.

The elderly Kage smiled and opened his arms. "Of course you did Naruto-kun. You trained and trained. You deserve this."

The first of the two men, a middle aged shinobi with pale eyes and long luxurious hair, smiled at the young man. "You know, my daughter is taking the exam right as we speak. If she passes, you may even be on the same team."

The second of the men looked at the boy with an appraising eye. "How did you pass the bunshin portion of the exam child?"

"I used Kage Bunshin mister!" Naruto proudly declared.

"Kage Bunshin? And you managed three of them? Impressive at your age, even Itachi couldn't preform three of them that young." The man turned back to Hiruzen. "I definitely solidify my request."

"Noted Fugaku, Hiashi what of you? Do you solidify your request?" Sarutobi puffed his pipe as he locked eyes with the Hyuuga clan head.

"He is a great child from what we at the clan have seen, and he seems talented. But it would be more simple in the long term to not adopt him. He may join the clan at a later date. Especially if what we discussed comes to pass Fugaku-dono."

Fugaku gave a small smile, " We shall definitely see. I will leave that choice to him though. Hokage-sama, permission to leave? I have a meeting with Shisui about his patrol in two minutes."

"Dismissed. Both of you. Fugaku, it will be official in less than an hour. You already signed the paperwork." The Hokage smiled at Naruto as his eyes widened when the two clan heads left the room.

"He.. He wants to adopt me? The Uchiha clan head wants me?" Naruto stammered as he sat in the chair vacated by the Hyuuga.

"Not just him. The Hyuuga clan petitioned for your adoption as well. However I suspect that they came to an agreement behind closed doors. As it is, all you need to do is sign a piece of paper, and you will be Fugaku's adopted son." Hiruzen pulled the mention paperwork out.

"But doesn't he already have kids?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen's eyes saddened. "He once had two children Naruto-kun. But an incident a few years ago involving Kumo and the Hyuuga ended in his youngest son's death."

"How? All we know is Sasuke didn't go to school anymore. We thought he dropped out." Naruto didn't understand the whole politics of the village system.

"We don't know what happened that night Naruto-kun. We only know that the Kumo ambassador was dead, as was Sasuke Uchiha. We assume they killed each other." He didn't mention that the Hyuuga heiress was in the process of being kidnapped.

"I can't replace his son though jiji. I know that. I don't wanna be a replacement either. " Naruto looked at the paper.

"You won't be. The Uchiha have always treated their children as gifts. That is due to their traditions, and the fact that the Uchiha didn't use to have so many children around. You will be treated just as any Uchiha child."

"Okay Jiji, if you say it is a good idea, I'll do it." Naruto grabbed the pen and signed his name on the line that Hiruzen indicated.

"Good Naruto-kun. You will keep the Uzumaki name, and simply be a ward of Fugaku. If you want to add Uchiha later, we can. But right now, there is something else I must tell you." The hokage became serious in an instant.  
"I'm listening Jiji" Naruto locked his gaze on his grandfather figure.  
"Naruto-kun, what do you know about the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

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Shisui paced Fugaku's office. He didn't understand what his patrol had found, but it could not have been good. He didn't understand how it could have been good.

Fugaku entered the office and motioned to the chair. "Sit, Shisui. Explain why you are pacing."

"We found something. Or, we found someone."

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Kakashi opened the hidden chamber in his living room. He slowly climbed down into the crevasse and shut the hatch behind him. He walked down a long tunnel that opened into a large room. The walls were covered in weapons armors and scrolls. On the farthest wall sat three pedestals. The left most held a sword in a scabbard, the right most held a single scroll. The middle however was where Kakashi's eye locked. Encased in glass were two objects. A ceramic dog mask and a single piece of cloth. He spoke to the mask and strip of cloth. "He graduated today. You failed. But one day. One day I will find you. I swear it."

Kakashi quickly turned his back and left the room.


	5. Shadows cometh Part 5

"What do you know about the Nine Tailed Fox?" Sarutobi asked the whiskered child before him. The office was silent after the question as if the future and the past were crushing the very air. The old man before the boy wore a fierce expression full of pain, determination and the need to tell his young charge of the burden his successor has bestowed upon him. A burden that grown men and women have crumpled under.

"Yondaime-sama killed it. That it destroyed parts of Konoha, but the Yondaime fought and killed it. But he died 'cause of it." Naruto replied with a child's enthusiasm. He idolized the Fourth Hokage. To him, the man could never do wrong. For the entirety of his reign, short as it was, Konoha prospered. He was everything Naruto wanted to be. An orphan turned hero, a symbol of strength, and a legendary figure.

"That is a lie told to keep appearances Naruto-kun. In reality, no-one can kill a biju, which is what the Kyuubi is," Sarutobi answered the question Naruto was about to ask. Yet the child voiced another question.

"If no-one can kill 'em what did he do?" Naruto was scared. Was the Fox still around? Could he come back?

"He used Fuinjutsu Naruto-kun."

"Fuinjutsu? He put the fox in a scroll?" Naruto laughed aloud at the thought of a mountainous fox being sealed into a palm-sized scroll.

"Naruto-kun, he sealed the fox yes, but into something much more capable than a scroll. He sealed inside you." Sarutobi sadly let the first bombshell drop. _'Let us see how you cope Naruto-kun. Are you a shinobi, or a child?'_

The laughter slowly died on Naruto's face as he registered the words of the old man. Swiftly, Naruto thought of all the jeers, all the leers, the occasional kick, the loneliness and the pain. Naruto understood finally what the villagers and some of the shinobi corps thought. "They think I am the fox don't they jiji?" He quietly asked the only man to show him kindness. He asked the man who taught him to feed himself, to read, to write, he asked his only caring person. With eyes begging to be wrong, he asked, "But they are wrong right jiji? I'm just Naruto right?"

"Naruto-kun, you are not the fox. The fox is inside you. Fuinjutsu is versatile, but even it cannot change what a thing is. Fuinjutsu is not alchemy. A man cannot be made into a biju, or vice versa." The Third Hokage confidently told his charge.

"I didn't get some of those words jiji, but I think I got it. The fox is inside, but separate?" Naruto tried to simplify the explanation of the Third.

"Essentially correct Naruto-kun." He sighed. He knew he should have spent more time expanding Naruto's vocabulary, but he was already so short on time. He was barely keeping the Council in check, and Danzo was still making moves in the background. Hiruzen knew that giving Naruto the tools to better himself were important, but even more important was his survival. Vocabulary was only a minor sacrifice in his mind for the survival of this young lad.

"Jiji, before you tell me more, why isn't fuinjutsu taught at the academy? It sounds super strong!" Naruto asked a simple, but important question. If fuinjutsu was so strong, that it could hold back the Kyuubi, then why didn't everyone know it?

The black eyes of the wizened Kage sparkled knowingly. _' Impressive. You knew that there was more, that there was things being hidden still. You also knew that in order to ensure the seal was safe, you needed more information on fuinjutsu. Good, Naruto-kun. Use everything. Even me.'_  
"Fuinjutsu is a challenging art. It is also much more dangerous than most other forms of shinobi combat to put into use. The others are simple to understand and their fundamentals are all relativity understood. Taijutsu is the art of self-control. It is based solely on the body of the shinobi. Ninjutsu is the art of environmental influence and control. All ninjutsu effects the surroundings of the shinobi, or uses the elemental manipulation of outside forces to effect oneself. Genjutsu is the art of enemy control. It is the only art that solely effects the enemy via your own chakra. Fuinjutsu on the other hand is the art of channeling forces. It is the only art that allows one to effect more than one thing at a time. Because of this, fuinjutsu has rigid uncompromising rules that govern its use. If the rules are broken, if a mistake is made, the seal will fail. Most likely it will fail in an extraordinary way."

"So fuinjutsu is finicky and dangerous?" Naruto tried to process the lengthy explanation he was just given.

"Extremely so Naruto-kun. My uncle died by accidently making a mistake on a storage scroll matrix. A matrix is the form the seal takes. He made a single line less than perfectly, and it resulted in him sealing a portion of his arm. Medical jutsu couldn't save him because every time chakra was applied to the seal, more of his body was sealed into the scroll. A single, unidentifiable mistake cost him his life in one of the most brutal ways I can imagine." Sarutobi related his tale with the seriousness only a leader could tell his soldier.

"If it's so easy to mess up jiji, I have a single thing to ask. Is the Kyuubi's seal secure?" Naruto meet his leaders eyes not as a child, but as a shinobi of the leaf. He knew that if the answer was no, he would resign immediately, and leave the village. He would run as far as he could and hope that the seal would hold until his home was safe.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the legendary Professor, the man who had lead Konoha through every Shinobi World War, who had seen and battled Biju, jinjuuriki, Kage, and armies both alone and with his village, gazed at his surrogate grandson with intense pride. _'Minato, you would be proud. Your son is blazing with the Will of Fire.'_  
"The seal is perfectly secure Naruto-kun. The Fourth was the best fuinjutsu utilizer I have ever met. The seal itself is balanced and anchored by ten points. Of those ten, eight points are on your chakra coils themselves, and cannot be damaged even by a Hyuuga's assault. The ninth is anchored to your heart. As long as it beats, that anchor will not release. From what we can tell, there is a delay on its release as well. 9 days from the time your heart stops, the anchor will remain in place there. The tenth and last anchor is set to your will. It is the most important of them. If you release that anchor, as only you can, the beast will be released. The only other way would be tear through the seal, and pull the Kyuubi from the wreckage. The amount of chakra required to do that is astronomical. That is only the bare minimum of what your seal does however. There are many more features, that I couldn't even begin to understand. The Fourth was a genius that is only seen once every century, and his work proves it Naruto-kun." The Professor confessed his ignorance about the sealing arts to the only one who needed to understand that he didn't have the answers.

" There is a but coming Jiji. I know it. Spit it out please." Naruto had listened and watched his leader as he taught about the seal. While it was all accurate, at least Naruto couldn't tell that Hiruzen was lying, he knew that there was more to it. That he elderly Kage wouldn't risk it unless Naruto needed to know something more.

"You are getting more perceptive Naruto-kun. Good. Remember Shinobi Rule number 43. 'Use all resources. Never let information go.' I'm glad I drilled that into your head all these years." Sarutobi smirked at the young man.  
"You're skirting the question old man. Now, what do I need to know?" The young genin stood his ground against the stare of arguably the most powerful Kage to ever live.

"Minato, the Fourth, was a genius yes. But even geniuses make mistakes. After years of research, we figured it out. There is something else sealed inside you along with the Kyuubi. That thing is known as a Shade Naruto-kun. And it is quite possibly the most dangerous thing to ever walk this earth." The Hokage revealed.

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Fugaku entered the crime scene with the ease of one with experience. Yet even he couldn't hold back the bile that entered his mouth at the gruesome scene. _'Shisui was wrong'_ he thought _'this is definitely more than one someone.'_ In the old house the walls were completely covered in chunks of flesh. It looked as if someone stuck them there deliberately. The floor of the hall was covered in a literal lake of blood, feces and other bodily fluids. But what really made Fugaku's hardened stomach rebel was the ribcage of what was once a child used as a cage to keep the severed head of a woman against the wall.

"I want to know who, what, and why. I want identification of the bodies, and I wanted it yesterday!. Patrol 3, you are to examine the outside. There is no way that no one heard anything even if there were silencing seals on every wall. Patrol 14, I want Inochi here. He may be able to get something from Jane doe over there. Also, someone please figure out how many victims there were! There is enough blood on the floor for at least ten. It seems we have a monster in our village."

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A cloaked figure strolled into a cave nestled deep in the mountains. It had been years since he had let himself go wild, and the man enjoyed it. ' _There was nothing quite like the thrill'_ he mused. But there was something different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He was more... more... what was the word? Oh yes efficient. He had become more efficient in his savagery over the years. ' _Maybe its natural´_ he thought. Then he shrugged. Who cared anyway? He had his fun.

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Kakashi looked at the scroll he received three hours previously, and remembered the conversation he had with the Hokage.

 **FLASHBACK**

'Kakashi-kun, I need you to take a genin team this year.' The old Kage told the jonin.

'For what purpose Hokage-sama? There is only one person I'd like to teach. Just give him to me, and keep the team.' The cyclopoid jonin replied.

'I can't do that. Asuma has shown interest in him as well, as have both Hyuuga and the Uchiha clans. The only option I have is to place him on a team. If I don't, the influence the clans would have is not desirable.'

'I see. That's why you are choosing me over Asuma. He is the current Clan Head of the Sarutobi clan, and it would look bad if you gave him control over any of the other clans.' Kakashi swiftly put the pieces together.

'Correct as usual Kakashi-kun. But there are a few catches. This year, I want to change the way the genin are trained. They are yours Kakashi, but they will also be trained by the other jonin-senseis. It was the only way I could think of to keep all parties happy.' The Professor smiled as he watched the jonin add in his mind the benefits of such a situation.

'They will be incredible. With the four of us, we cover nearly everything. There isn't an aspect of the shinobi life style that we four don't specialize in except fuinjutsu, and I am capable enough to train a genin in it at least. ' Kakashi was astounded. Each of the Jonin sensei specialized in a form of combat. Kakashi was strategic assault, Asuma was frontal tactics, Guy was frontal assault, and Kurenai was support.

'Correct Kakashi. In six months the Chunin exams are in Konoha, and for the first time since the Hyuuga incident, every single village will take part. Given who are in this class, they need to be capable. They need to be the best class to roam this village. Guy's team while six months older, is still too green. Your team will be too forceful, and Asuma's if separated will be extremely vulnerable. Unless we do something, Konoha will look weak on the world's stage.' The Third Hokage explained to his most trusted Jonin his thought process.

'Fine. But I will teach them how I want when I can.' Kakashi demanded.

'Kakashi, I don't care how you train them. I don't care if they can't leave the training ground at the end of the day as long they are able to survive in six months. The Raikage and Oonki will be here, and that is enough of an issue as it is. Especially when Oonki sees him'

'Understood. Minimum level of effectiveness?' Kakashi took out a small notebook to take notes on his orders. In code of course, since one never knew when one maybe murdered for information.

'In six months Kakashi, every single one better be able to take out a chunin. And if they can hold out against a Jonin even better. You also have a secondary mission. This is solely for you however.' Sarutobi tossed him a red scroll. 'I trust Minato, but I sure as hell don't trust whatever is in there. If it gets out, kill it. Under any means necessary.'

'Are you sure about that last part sir? If it can only be killed by..' Kakashi asked.

'Any means Kakashi. Any. Means.'

 **FLASHBACK OVER**

Kakashi fingered the edge of the scroll containing all the information on whatever it was that he was supposed to eliminate if it made an appearance. With a sigh he flicked it open and began to reread its contents for a hundredth time.

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Itachi was hunting. It was his job after all as a Hunter-nin. He was required to eliminate the threats of those who escaped the village. He liked his job as a matter of fact. Solitude suited him, and it had since the Hyuuga incident. He continued to leap between the trees, as his mind went back to the worst night of his life.

He had just come back from patrol around the northern border when his father was pulled aside by another clan member. Itachi remembered his face going white before he dashed out toward the hospital. Itachi followed, prepared to do his duty for the village until he saw him. His little brother. He looked so small on the white cot covered in a black blanket. He knew what that meant. It meant he was gone, that his little brother wouldn't ask him to help him anymore, that he wouldn't get to poke his forehead and call him foolish. Itachi, who had his sharingan on, memorized the entire scene. His father on his knees beside the bed, tears falling on the pale face of his motionless brother.

The next day, he asked for his transfer into the Hunter Division directly from Hokage-sama. His request was swiftly accepted, and he began his new career.

But now, now he was hunting something else. This one seemed to be playing with him, taunting him, and always just out of reach. Every time he sped up the trail went cold. Every time he lost the trail in less than two weeks he would pick it up again. Itachi didn't know what exactly he was hunting, but he knew that whatever it was needed to die.

Itachi followed the trail that headed toward the mountains of the northern Fire Nation.

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	6. Shadows Condense part 1

Naruto snarled as he dodged a punch. His teammate Sai was in many ways weird. He was pale, with dark hair and a weird smile. He also had a weird family technique. But he could fight. That's way Kakashi-sensei had him and Naruto spar constantly. Sai also seemed to have a lot of stamina for a genin. Most of the guys in the academy couldn't keep up with Naruto for three hours without getting tired, let alone spar. Naruto growled as he went for a left hook.

Kakashi smiled as his last genin ran up and down the tree trunk infront of him. "Good Sakura. I want it done another hundred times!"

"Kakashi-sensei! I need a break. I can't feel my legs!" The pink-haired young shinobi whined.

"I don't care if you can't move, you will give me a hundred more. You have the lowest reserves here, and if you are ever going to be of use, you need to build that up!" Kakashi referred to the first day of their training three weeks ago.

FLASHBACK

"Team 7 will be under Kakashi Hatake. He is an A-class Jonin of Konoha and known as the Copy-Ninja. This team will consist of Naruto Uzumaki, Sai Hino, and Sakura Haruno. You will meet on the roof." Iruka read from the blue scroll on his desk, making eye contact with each new genin. ' _I hope they are ready. From what the rumors are, they are in for hell.'_

"Team 8 will be under Kurenai Yühi. She is a jonin who specializes in support and Genjutsu-based assassination. This team will consist of Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Ino will meet in room 13" Confusion ran through the classroom at that announcement. Ino was supposed to be with Shikamaru and Choji right? Just like their fathers. Sensing the confusion, Iruka spoke," Before anyone gets too upset, know that the Sensei will explain the reasons the teams were created, and their purpose."

The room slowly quieted, and Iruka continued telling the young genin their placements. "Team 9 is still in rotation, so Team 10 is under Asuma Sarutobi, an A-class Jonin of Konoha. He is known in certain circles as the Final Smoke, and specializes in Close Frontal Combat. Under him will be Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Shino Aburame. You will meet in Room 2"

Slowly Iruka went through the entire roster, placing genin in teams of three while explaining a little bit about their sensei. By lunch time, he finally finished the list and told his charges, "As of now, you are Genin of the Leaf. As of now, you are as much adults as I am. As of now, you fight for everyone in this village. This is your home, and those around you are your comrades. Class, what is rule number 1 of Konoha Shinobi?!"

The class roared," All shinobi are comrades. We never leave each other behind!"

Iruka looked on proudly as his students spoke the most basic lesson of the Will of Fire. _'They will be great. And these Jonin will make sure it happens.'_ "Dismissed for lunch. I want every team back here in thirty minutes!" Iruka ordered the genin, and started packing up his stuff. He wouldn't be back in this room unless he taught another class. Judging from the scroll he got that morning however, such a thing was not meant to be. He was being ordered to move to the administrative building, and that his teaching assignment was now complete.

The classroom swiftly emptied, leaving only Iruka who finished placing his last items in the satchel he carried to class every morning. He looked around the classroom, and a smile appeared on his face before he grabbed a piece of chalk. _'I remember my Academy Instructor doing this.'_ Slowly he wrote on the board, making sure he wrote exactly what he wanted to say. He stepped back and placed the chalk piece on the desk, and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

The genin slowly trickled into the room chatting amongst themselves. The desks were slowly filled and one by one, the genin looked at the board to see it covered with a single sentence. Naruto smiled at the phrase, while Sai cocked his head in slight confusion. Sakura and Ino both reread the sentence trying to memorize it while Choji and Kiba both mumbled the sentence over and over as if trying to find its deepest meanings. Hinata and Shino both read the sentence quietly while Shikamaru snorted after reading it once.

"Whatcha problem Shikamaru?" Naruto yelled from across the room.

"Nothing you troublesome blond. I was amused by the sentence. Especially since its placed there every graduation year. Remember our first year? We are placed in this room and there is a single sentence that is on the board as we walk in. Anyone else remember it?" Shikamaru asked the room at large.

"Oh yea, that's right!" Ino thought back fondly. "That was so long ago Shika, I'm surprised you remember that!"

"That was hard to forget Ino. They are the words of the First. 'We are those who endure; we are Shinobi' is also important to each level of the corps. We will be asked to do terrible things Ino for our village and comrades, and we must endure it. We chose this life of hardship, and as a result we must endure every burden that is placed on us. I'd rather just nap but this is reality I suppose." The pineapple haired youth spoke to a captivated room of his peers.

"Very good kid. We may be able to make actual shinobi out of you yet!" A deep voice spoke from the front of the room.

Every genin looked towards the voice in shock, as seven jonin leaned against the board, the desk or the doorway as if they were always there. The one that spoke was a mountainous man with a small beard and cigarette in his mouth. He wore a pure white sash with the Fire Nation's symbol in red.

"Oh, we got some that have some reflexes. Check out the blond one Kakashi, I think that one is yours." A beautiful woman with dark hair and red eyes spoke to a man with only a single eye uncovered and gravity defying silver hair.

Naruto upon hearing the voice, had pulled a kunai from his pouch and was crouched by his desk.

"Hmmm. He isn't holding the kunai correctly for a defensive position, and the others didn't even react except to look. We have a ton of work to do Kurenai." The cyclopean jonin replied.

"Team Ten, I want you in room two in three minutes." The bearded smoker spoke directly to Shikamaru before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Team Eight, room thirteen, same time frame." The brunette said before fading away as if she was a mirage in the desert.

One by one, the sensei each told their teams where to meet and in what amount of time. By threes the genin ran, walked, or in one case crawled out of the door to start their careers. Finally, only one jonin remained, and only three genin were seated.

"Team Seven. Roof. You have two minutes. Go." The silver haired shinobi vanished in a blast of white smoke, and by the time it cleared the three genin were gone.

The three genin rocketed through the doorway at the rooftop. Naruto skidded to a stop as three kunai slammed into the rooftop infront of him "Shit!"

Sai grabbed Sakura who was right beside him, and tossed her to the right as he dove to the left. Naruto ducked, and pulled one of the kunai out from in front of him.

"That was adequate I suppose. You all failed, but at least you aren't dead." The jonin spoke from three meters infront of the genin. "Blondie, what did you fail to do?"

"How the hell should I know!? You just attacked us!" Naruto yelled.

"Pinkie, what did _you_ fail to do?" He ignored the blondes cries and promises of revenge.

"I didn't react sensei. I froze." Sakura mumbled the latter part of her response.

"Correct. Sai, you are the only one that actually reacted correctly. What did Naruto do incorrectly?" Kakashi asked his palest charge.

"Naruto-san didn't warn us of incoming projectiles, or react offensively. He forced us to have to be defensive." Sai spoke in a measured voice as he let the kunai he had in his hand slip back into his pouch.

"Correct. Naruto, when in front you are always on alert. You are the point of the spear, the first response. As such you have to respond. Not just state 'oh shit'. That doesn't help your team mates. That only ends in every single one of you dead. Or worse." The jonin lectured. "Sakura, when in dangerous situations, do not think. React. We will work on getting your reactions down so that in another situation like that, you don't have to think. You react, get distance, place defenses up, and then think. Now, I have read your files, so I know each of you. But I want you to introduce yourselves so that each of you know each other. Tell me what your skills are, and why you think you are here. Pinkie, go."

"I am Sakura Haruno, and I am good at strategy, memorization, and I have good control. I think I am on this team as support." Sakura dutifully answered.

"I am Sai Hino, and I specialize in traps, and my family jutsu. I am here for counter attack." Sai answered the look that Kakashi sent him.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I think I'm good at everything, but Jiji says I am a chakra powerhouse. He says I am primarily frontal assault and reactionary combat!" The loudmouth brat responded to the question.

"Essentially correct. Sakura, your file states that you were great at support based roles during practice. You excel in non-linear combat. Sai, you are great at combating multiple enemies, and are very good at mid to long ranges. Naruto, as you bluntly put it, you are a chakra monster and a stamina freak. You are going to be the sword of the team. If there is a singular enemy that needs eliminated, it will be your place to do so. I am specially equipped to teach you all. I have no specialization. There is not a shinobi art that I am at least proficient in, though I am best at ninjutsu and linear combat. Starting tomorrow and every day following you will meet at training ground 7 for training. Normally, we would test you to see if you are able to be genin, however, some of the sensei have orders to forgo that test. I may or may not be one of them. Prepare for anything. Dismissed." Kakashi disappeared in a poof of white smoke.

The next day, the training from hell began.

FLASHBACK END

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Drip. Drip. Rattle Rattle Rattle. Drip.

The water fell from a place far out of sight, not that gigantic fox minded. He was curled up rather warmly on a strip of dry land. A single crimson slitted orb peered at the humanoid that slowly moved his hundreds of chains. A massive claw-like nail with portions of a digit still attached was shoved into his stomach. His long blood red hair hung nearly touching the ivory colored addition to his anatomy.

A wet laugh shakes the being's chest he settles in a new position. "You know Kyuubi-sama. These past twelve years, I have learned so much… I learned so much in deed. Each of the Biju are a personification of something aren't they? Hehehe. Even the humans know that. In fact, they know what each personifies oh yes… each is a human fear and attribute. One is madness, two is fear of death, three is drowning, four is natural disaster, five is heat, six is unlikely predators, seven is the urge to fly, eight is strength of mind and body. Oh but nine... nine is unique is it not Kyuubi-sama? Nine is that which even humans don't understand. Hehe but I do. We do. We understand Kyuubi-sama. The humans assume you are rage, malice and anger. But no... no you are much more. Rage, malice and anger are not the beginnings but the results. You are survival, adaption and perseverance. Your chakra tells tales Kyuubi-sama, as I slowly eat it. It tells me wonderful things. Of how you used to be the weakest of your siblings, how you used to have no control. It tells me of when you trained for eons, and clawed your way into being the best. Oh how it tells me you are the best. Your very nature, is to be ever improving. That is where your rage stems isn't Kyuubi-sama? Being pent-up? Unable to imp-"

"Be silent. Until you are spoken to, be silent." The giant fox interrupted the maddened mumblings of the being in front of him.

"But Viscrag is always being spoken to, Kyuubi-sama. Oh yes.. But who said anything about Viscrag talking to you?" The being laughed as the fox responded with a roar.

"Wanna know what else I've learned? I'm not alone in this world." The being laughed heartedly at the silence of the Nine Tailed Fox.

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As Kakashi blocked an overhead kick from Sai, he pondered his students improvements since that first meeting. Naruto was already gaining chakra control, and had thirty clones working on learning basic wind and fire manipulation. Oddly, wind came naturally to the blonde in ways that Kakashi didn't even understand. Kakashi remembered the first time he handed the boy chakra paper.

FLASHBACK

Naruto, Sai, and Sakura were seated around a tree trunk battered and breathing heavily. It was only the third day of training and already they loathed their sensei's existence.

"Good. You all lasted until noon this time. Guess that means I'll introduce something else." Kakashi reached into his pouch and the genin tensed. They relaxed slightly as he pulled out three squares of paper. "Very good! You didn't completely relax. Yes, it is possible to maim or even kill with paper. So it was wise of you to not let your guard down completely. But don't worry, this paper is relatively harmless. It chakra paper. Naruto what is Chakra paper?"

"Isn't that paper that is from those one trees that are constantly fed chakra from something or another?" The whiskered shinobi panted out as he tried to remember a lesson he never actually attended.

"Baka, its paper made from the Miroi tree from the Land of Iron. It's the only tree that regrows a limb after its cut. It does so because of the massive natural chakra rich pool that it has tapped under its roots. It was grown there by Shodaime-sama as a gift to the Samurai nation. They sell it to each village at an equal price." Sakura corrected her teammate.

"Correct Sakura. Now the special property of this paper- "the Sensei began.

"The special property of the paper is that if chakra is pulsed through it, the nature affinity of the chakra is displayed. It will burn, wrinkle, dampen, crumble or be cut if the chakra nature is fire, lightning, water, and wind respectively." Sai cut across their teacher in a voice that could not hid the excitement.

"Sai? Politely, what the hell was that?" Naruto looked at his team mate as if he grew a new head.

"What? The Hino clan are artists by nature. Paper, paint, and such things are what we love, and live for. It just so happens that Chakra paper is a commodity that no one from the clan has ever painted on. Kakashi-sensei- "

"No Sai, your clan is well aware of the Hokage's opinion on using such a resource for your family's teachings." Kakashi glared at his young charge who had the wherewithal to look down ashamed.

"Why can't Sai have a piece to draw on?" Naruto asked both Sai and Kakashi.

"Its theorized that any of my clan's jutsu that would be done on chakra paper would be extremely powerful. Mainly because of the latent chakra amplifications of the paper, it would magnify any technique my family would use. For some of our jutsu, that would be extremely hazardous." Sai replied.

"Also, while Iron sells the paper to each village at an equal price, the price is still high. The tree can only be harvested at certain times, and the paper is not easily made from the harvested limbs. In order to procure enough paper for the Hino clan to perfect clan jutsu using it, the village would go bankrupt swiftly." Kakashi added.

"Not exactly, but price is a factor in the negotiations..." Sai mumbled as he traced circles in the dirt.

"Anyway, back to what the paper is for. You my adorable little genin, are going to pump chakra into the paper so we can understand what your natures are." The sensei of the group smiled at the genin who quickly caught on.

"We're gonna learn jutsu?! YATTA!" Naruto jumped up suddenly energized.

"No, you are going to be learning your affinities. They will shape how you are trained. Each affinity is a part of a person's latent nature. Fire affinities cannot learn via rigid methods. Much as water affinities can't learn without guidance. Each affinity learns differently." Kakashi explained before handing each genin a piece of the paper. "Channel chakra into it, and we will see what you got."

Sakura took a piece of the paper and pushed chakra into it as steadily as possible. Before the watching eye of her sensei, the paper crumbled to dust. _'Good an Earth type. Capable of great defensive and offensive maneuvers.'_

Sai plucked a piece from his sensei's waiting hand. Gently caressing the paper with his fingertips, he eased chakra into it. He slowly smiled as the paper curled and became damp. ' _Interesting Yin Water. His skill will be in water manipulation.'_

Naruto grabbed the final piece and gathered his chakra. "When I unlocked my chakra, I felt free. When I learned my first jutsu, I felt empowered. I know what is about to happen Kakashi-sensei, and I feel so excited!" With that, he let the chakra wisp into the paper.

In a flurry, the paper cut itself multiple times. As the confetti falls, they slowly burn into cinders. _'incredible. A massive wind affinity. He craves freedom like the wind. And will do anything to get it. Hokage-sama will want to know.'_

FLASHBACK END

Since that day, he gave Naruto the minimum of instruction, and focused on using the Kage Bushin training technique that Hokage-sama told him to use after informing him of the affinity test. Kakashi grunted as Sakura's fist lightly grazed his spine as he spun way. His eye widened when he heard "Futon: Gale Palm!" The sensei dropped to the ground as forty shurikan split the air where his body once was. Black ropes swiftly wrapped around his limbs, and constricted as if they were snakes. A weight pressed against his back as a kunai lightly touched his throat.

"Yield sensei." Sai stated.

"Very good, you got the first clone." The Kakashi that Sai had pinned exploded into water. "Do it again. I want Sakura to pin this time." The real Kakashi who was leaning against a tree on the side of the field, cracked open a water bottle before flipping through three handsigns. From the water in the bottle another Kakashi rose. ' _Soon they will be ready for C ranks. And we will see if this team will survive.'_

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Iruka grunted as he drops a pile of scrolls onto the desk. "Here Hokage-sama. We have these to get through by midday!"

"Iruka-kun, take anything from this pile that is not a C-rank or higher and take them to that lazy civilian council. I know for a fact that those haven't been checked over by them yet."

"Yes sir!" He quickly sorted each of the scrolls grabbing 21 D-rank missions. He took those scrolls from the room.

The old man started sorting through the missions, starting with C ranks. ' _Hmm. That would be good for Assi's team, they still need to get their first kills. Guy would like this one. Oh, this one is a search mission, looks like Kurenai-chan is getting it. Ah a detective mission, this one would be good for Asuma-kun. What's this?'_ The old man slowly reread the scroll in front of him. _'Oh wave, that is important. If I remember correctly, Gato recently moved into that area. From the looks of it though, the client is attempting to get an A rank for cheap._ ' He set the scroll aside as he sorted through the rest of the missions. Luckily there were very few and he finished just as Iruka walked in. "Delivered with instructions Hokage-sama."

"Good Iruka-kun. Take a look at this and tell me your opinion." The eldest Kage in the Elemental Nations tossed the Chunin the wave scroll as he wrote which mission went to which team.

Iruka read through the scroll, a frown creasing his brow. "Hokage-sama, something feels off about this. In the reason for employment, protection detail is stated, but that was the mission parameters. It also doesn't have a set time. But the destination is Wave, who I know have filled out mission requests before. I don't understand."

"Very good. I didn't expect you to even catch something was amiss. You are correct Iruka-kun, Wave has filed requests before, and they were completely accurate at that time. This is a very well disguised attempt to get a squad cheaply. My guess is that Gato who recently moved into the nation, is applying brute pressure."

"Why do you think that Hokage-sama?" Iruka wanted to understand the wizened man's reasoning before agreeing or disagreeing with him.

"Gato has had multiple warnings from Mizu about using criminals as workers. Iwa has also warned him about dodging taxes. Suna has even banned his merchandise from two villages for employing thugs instead of workers from the city. If he has recently expanded into Wave, we must assume that his thugs and 'employees' have as well." The Hokage looked deeply into Iruka's eyes. "The real question is do we send a genin team, or do we decline the mission?"

"Why can't we send an ANBU team, charge Wave for the A rank, and everyone is happy?"

"Because they had a reason for requesting a C-rank. It is likely that it was chosen for the financial aspect. Plus, sending an ANBU team would mean each village would see us as Assassinating Gato, not protecting the client. While most of the major villages know exactly what he is, the smaller villages would be crippled without his wares. And while that outcome is not negative, we cannot look like we did it on purpose. That act alone would band each of the smaller villages against Konoha, and the next war could spark quickly."

"So, you think that we should send genin into a potential warzone to stop a larger war from occurring? Because it sounds like Wave is in a state of civil war." Iruka questioned his leader harshly.

"Iruka-kun, let me ask you something. Would you rather Wave be annexed by Kumo? Because they are the next neighbors that they would go to if we decline. A is not an idiot, he will accept the mission, and his shinobi _will_ complete it. Then he will annex the country 'for its own protection' and Wave will welcome it. Then we will have a Kumo territory right on our border. There is a reason why we are allies with Suna Iruka! It's because during the Third War, that front was hell. We lost more shinobi on that front than all the others combined. All because we had no buffer. We cannot afford to turn down this mission, without hell to pay!" By the end Sarutobi was standing and pacing the room. He plucked his pipe from the desk and swiftly packed it. He took a deep drag after lighting it and blew the smoke out of his nose.

' _He looks so fierce. Like an old dragon who has seen too much._ ' "Hokage-sama, you will do anything to keep war from happening again? Even sacrificing three of the next generation?" Iruka gently asked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked out at the village he had protected longer than its current generation of citizens had been alive. He gazed fondly at the children he could see playing in the parks, the young couples playfully having an early lunch, at the older shop keepers gleefully selling their wares and finally at the shadows that watched over them protectively. "Iruka-kun, If I could save them all, I would. But such a dream is impossible. Call for Kakashi. He is to come alone."

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Fugaku read through three different reports nearly simultaneously, his sharingan eyes flicking from one to the other, memorizing each detail. ' _From the coroner's reports, whoever did this had massive physical strength, but also extreme self-control. Inochi saw from the woman's mind agony, and pain. She was alive for most of it. There were twenty places on the walls were the blood was thinner in a rectangular pattern, implying that seals were placed. Judging from the fact that no one heard anything, they were silencing seals. The question is, how the hell did this fucker kill twenty-three people in less than eight hours. The patrols of the region didn't even see anything enter the damn house.'_

"Sir, your wife sent your lunch in. You forgot it this morning." A random Uchiha police officer knocked on the door holding a bento box.

"Thanks Ishi. Is patrol 7 in yet?" Fugaku took the box from his subordinate.

"No, sir, they were due over forty minutes ago." The officer replied.

"Shit. Send patrol 3, and alert the ANBU, I have a bad feeling about this." Fugaku darted out the door still caring his lunch.

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Kakashi arrived in the office in a swirl of leaves. "Hokage-sama?"

"Ahh Kakashi-kun, good. Are you the real one or a clone?" The old man didn't look up from the forms he was rapidly going through.

"I am real, I left a shadow clone with the kids. They are improving sir."

"Good. That is excellent. Your team is going to get a C-rank tomorrow. I will warn you however, that it is not a C-rank mission." The Kage looked up finally to look at his former top ANBU captain.

"Hokage-sama, I would like to politely decline on reasons of member preparation." Kakashi met his leader's eyes with his single uncovered one.

"Denied. This mission is vital for the continuation of the peace that Konoha is under. For all intents and purposes consider this an A-rank. You will be tasked to protect a bridge builder, but your actual mission is to eliminate Gato from Wave, and open Wave to negotiations."

"Sir, are you sure that genin can handle this?" Kakashi questioned before agreeing.

"Kakashi, It's not a matter of if they can handle it. They will handle it. Or they will die for their village."

"Understood Hokage-sama"


	7. Shadows Condense Part 2

Kakashi wrote swiftly in the three scrolls in front of him. He strangely had his normal eye covered and his Sharingan open. As he rapidly transcribed jutsu on the scrolls he thought back to the person who taught him this technique.

FLASHBACK

A younger Kakashi stood with his Sharingan uncovered before one of the oldest Uchiha in the village. He had no hair atop his head, but his beard was silver streaked with black. His wrinkled face nearly hid the fully mature sharingan that gazed emotionlessly at Kakashi.

"Young one, do you know what the most impressive gift these eyes grant is?" the old man asked in a voice that did not hide the power he wielded.

"the ability to copy-" Kakashi attempted to answer before being cut off.

"Wrong young one. Try again."

"The ability to brea-" Kakashi tried again.

"Wrong again. Do you wish me to tell you?"

"Yes please Uchiha-sama." Kakashi looked down. For the second time in as many months he had failed, though this was less disastrous than his first failure.

"Ease up young one, you were close with the first guess. These eyes allow us to _learn_. With these eyes, nothing cannot be taught. Everyone who has these eyes assume that they copy what they see, but that is not true. They learn what they saw. If you know it, because you learned it, what does that mean young one?"

"We can teach it!" Kakashi answered with wide eyes.  
"Damn right young one." The old man's eyes crinkled as his beard was split by his smile.

FLASHBACK END

' _Thanks Renchi-sensei.'_ With a flourish he completed the three scrolls. As he rose he let out a deep sigh before turning his headband back to its normal side. "Even after all these years, that still takes a bit out of me" He mumbled to himself as he ran through some handsides and sliced his thumb on a sharpened edge of his metal glove covering. "Summoning, tri-tracking unit!" With a poof, three dogs appeared, each in a vest with a face on the back and a Konoha headband somewhere on their bodies. The middle one, the smallest who happened to be a pug, spoke.

"What's up Kakashi? You rarely summon all three of us."

"Well Pakkun, I need you three to deliver these scrolls to my students. I'd do it myself, but with a mission tomorrow that is going to be extremely taxing, I need the rest." Kakashi addressed the pug with an eye smile as his arms shook with fatigue.

"You transcribed several jutsu for each didn't you?" The pug sighed as he shook his head. "Fine. But first," the small dog slammed his paw onto the wood floor. "summoning!" With a poof, another larger dog, dressed as the first three, appeared.

"Sumkun, get Kakashi to bed, make sure he rests. He used his eye too much. I'll take that loudmouth, Yurkun, you get the girl, and Hijkun you get the Hiro boy." At the pug's orders, the dogs grabbed their charges and disappeared in shunshins.

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 **With Naruto. The next morning**

Naruto sat by the gatehouse, a bag beside him and a scroll open in front of him. He was quickly reading it, so he could create shadow clones to learn its contents. He hoped to accomplish this before his teammates arrived.

It was an interesting discovery to find that he could create shadow clones with objects such as books and scrolls, but unless he knew what the contents were, exactly, the clones of the objects were blank. The same thing occurred with anything more complex than a sealing scroll and an explosive tag as well. Most likely because these were things that Naruto understood how to create. At least, he thought he understood how they were created.

Finally, he finished reading the scroll gifted to him by his sensei. "Time for some real learning!" He put his fingers into a cross shape, and yelled "Multi-shadow clone jutsu!"

An explosion of smoke blasted the sleeping chunin guard out of his chair. "Wha-whats goin' on?!" The frightened chunin peeked over the desk, and the sight that greeted him made his jaw drop.

On every surface, covering each completely stood clones of Naruto Uzumaki. He looked around, and it registered in his mind that he was looking at an army of blonds. He swiftly fainted.

"Alright! There are 1201 of you clones! Go to training ground 7, not yet moron!" The original Naruto threw a kunai at a Naruto that attempted to jump toward the training ground without further instructions. "Well now there are 1200 of you! Once at the training ground you will split into six EQUAL groups. Group one! Jutsu one! Group Two jutsu two! Continue with that line of thought! Each group goes for one jutsu! I want it mastered by the end of the day! If that means each of you creates more clones, then go for it! Dispel in ranks of ten every three minutes as soon as the sun sets here in Konoha. If it is not your turn to dispel, KEEP WORKING! Go." The original smiled as his clones all darted across the rooftops in a wave of orange.

"Time for a nap!" With that he sat back down, pulled his headband down over his eyes and started to sleep.

 **Two Hours Later**

"Kakashi-sensei shouldn't we wake him?" Sakura asked her sensei while pointing to the snoring blond.

"Of course we should Sakura! After pictures. A shinobi should never be caught in a compromising position, and this will teach that lesson well to our friend!" The jonin replied with an eye smile as he pulled a camera from his pouch.

FLASH

"What?! Who's there?!" Naruto awoke with a roar and grabbed the nearest thing to brandish as a weapon. Unfortunately, that thing happened to be Sai. With force that surprised even the Jonin of the group, Naruto grabbed Sai's arm and started to swing him around like a mace. "BACK! BACK I SAY! ITS MY RAMEN!"

"Naruto-san, please! Put me down!" Sai stated in a higher voice than normal.

Sai's voice seemed to rouse the temporarily blinded blond shinobi from his dreams of ramen thieves. He dropped Sai to the ground before rubbing the back of his head. "Heha, sorry. I was dreamin, and something woke me up, and I sorta panicked…"

The group looked at him in shock. ' _That sort of strength shouldn't be possible. Guy can't even do that. I'll have to remember to report it to the Hokage. It may be a result of_ that _emerging.'_ The lone jonin of the group thought swiftly before raising his hands, the camera gone. "My bad Naruto-kun, I didn't think your wake-up would be so violent."

"It's cool Kakashi-sensei! Let's go on our mission! Where's the client?" Naruto smiled at the group.

"I'm comin' ya brats! Show some respect! I'm older than all ya three put tagether! I was drinkin' 'fore ya sensei was even born!" An older man, nearly in his sixties walked up to the group. He was a fairly large man, though not fat by any means. He had a dark bearded face and spectacles. He carried a large pack with a bedroll right behind his head, and a towel around his neck. "I'm Tazuna. I'm a master bridge builder, and ya'll are gonna protect me. This bridge is important ya hear!" He spoke in a gruff manner, and pointed his finger at each of the genin.

"We will protect you Tazuna-san." Sai spoke in a monotone as his creepy smile graced his face.

"Good, just stop smiling and let's go." Tazuna started walking through the gate.

"Team as we walk, I want you all studying! I want at least one jutsu mastered by the time we get to Wave in three days! Understand?" Kakashi commanded his genin before walking after the client.

"Yes Sensei!" The genin ran after their sensei ready for their first real mission.

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Itachi crouched on a tree branch. He had been there for over forty hours now, and had only left the branch to relieve himself. Even then he always had an eye on the entrance of the cave. He knew his prey was in the cave, just as he knew his prey knew he knew. How was not important, he just knew. With cracking joints, he stood.

"Leaving so soon Hunter-san?" A voice right behind him softly asked.

Moving in a blur, Itachi slapped an explosive note on the tree trunk and was gone from the blast radius even as it exploded. He righted himself in midair, before touching down on a tree trunk further from the cave. His Sharingan saw a smoke covered form fall from the explosion, and he darted to intercept. Pulling his tanto from its place on his back he went for a slicing attack, hoping to either sever a limb or kill. His hopes were dashed when a hand caught the blade easily as if it was swung by a toddler and not an S-rank hunter Shinobi.

"Really hunter-san, is that anyway to greet someone? Hehe, though you are fun to play with…Maybe I'll continue…" The voice in the still smoke filled area laughed before letting the sword go. Before Itachi could move however, a crushing force slammed into his chest and blasted him towards the cave. With a crack of breaking rock, he crumpled against the opening of the cave.

"Oh dear, I missed. I was hopping you'd land inside. Tut-tut." The voice edged ever closer.

' _That's it… just a bit closer.'_ Shielded from his opponents' gaze, Itachi's eyes changed from their normal Sharingan shape. He focused and drew chakra into his right eye, before looking up.

"Amaterasu!"  
Instantaneously black fire erupted on the voice's owner's head. A high pitched scream came blurting out of the flames as the being plunged his hands in trying to pat it away. The man, for Itachi saw it was finally a man, hit his knees as he continually tried to pat the flames with his now black fire covered hands.

A tear of blood fell from Itachi's right eye. "Burn. Burn for Konoha." When the man finally stopped struggling, Itachi let the black flames die. The charred upper torso of the former man was left without a head or hands, but it was still a body. Itachi shut his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again. Only to widen in surprise as the body slowly dissolved into smoke in front of him.

' _I need to report this. Whoever that was, he hit way too hard. Bodies don't go up in smoke unless there was fire, which there sure as hell wasn't.'_ Itachi slowly stood and wrapped an arm around his middle. By his estimation he had at least a broken rib. He hardened himself, and jumped into the trees. It was a long way home.

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Sarutobi sat in his office peering over the village. He inhaled the tobacco from the pipe that he had longer than some of his corps had been shinobi. A knock on the door interrupted the silence of the room. "Enter"

"Hiruzen." A soft voice spoke as soon as the door clicked shut again.

"Danzo, what can I do for you."

"I have a…problem." The warhawk replied.

Turning his chair around Sarutobi placed both hands under his chin and met the Elder's eyes. "You don't say?"

"Hiruzen, a few years ago I attempted to create whatever Uzumaki has in his seal-" Danzo began.

"You did what?" Sarutobi started to flood the room with killer intend. His furious gaze never left Danzo's lone eye.

"I can explain. I had the means of controlling it-" Danzo tried to ease the Hokage's anger.

"There are no ways of controlling it Danzo! I checked myself!" Danzo hit his knees as the pressure became too much.

"Please…Hiruzen let me explain…" Danzo choked out.

"Fine. You have twenty seconds. If you don't explain to my satisfaction, I'll make sure you never leave this room. "The god of shinobi eased the killing intent enough for his companion to stand.

"I placed a seal on it, so that it could not physically harm anyone that It wasn't supposed to. But something went wrong, in less than a minute, it had damaged the seal enough that it could harm anyone other than me." Danzo explained.

"Why the hell did you make one Danzo? I see no reason why except as a way to kill me. And if that was the case…"The Professor stood and slowly walked around the desk.

"We were weak! We only had twenty elite jonin at the time! Of them, only fourteen were in the village. Uzumaki wasn't anywhere near to being the deterrent he is meant to be, and the Sannin had all left for various reasons! With a Shade under our command, the Leaf wouldn't have to worry about any other nation until Uzumaki was ready. And if it ever became a burden, we could easily ki-" Danzo defended himself before he was interrupted.

"Easily kill it?! Danzo the last time one was made outside Naruto's case was before the First World War. It took Hashirama-sensei and a team of over a hundred Uzumaki just to stop the thing from slaughtering everything in its path! Of that team only twelve made it back alive including Hashirama-sensei! For the first time since Madara Uchiha, The Shodaime limped through the village gates barely alive because of one of those!" Sarutobi back handed Danzo down onto the floor before pressing his foot on his chest and running through a few handsigns and biting his thumb.  
"Summoning." With a poof, a staff was in his hands and Danzo stared wide eyed as Hiruzen twirled it twice around his head before slamming it down.

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Itachi limped up the steps of the Hokage Tower. Every few steps he stopped, hacked up a small amount of blood and then continued on. Soon he would be able to rest. But first, tell the Hokage everything.

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Fugaku was furious. For the first time since the Kyuubi incident an entire patrol of Uchiha police were slaughtered. He had investigated their patterned route and found that they didn't complete it. After that, it was a simple matter of finding out when it was noticed that they didn't complete the route and they had a reasonable place to start. Of course, he was expecting them to have gotten drunk, maybe stopped for food.

No, instead they found another house of horrors. Blood stained the floor as deep as Fugaku's ankles. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the bent kunai that were used to hang each police member. By the eye sockets.

Whoever did this would die. Violently. Fugaku swore by it.

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Danzo opened his eye and stared up the shaft of the staff. "Listen to me, and listen well Danzo Shimura. You have only two purposes in this life from now on. One, find it and kill it. Two, train someone in your wind release. I will state this once, if that thing isn't dead by the end of year, you will be. If by some mircile you survive your encounter, you will spend the rest of your days teaching wind release, and only wind release to each and every single person I tell you to understand?" Sarutobi growled out as he slowly raised the staff from its small crater.

"Yes hokage-sama." Danzo breathed out.

"Get the fuck ou-" The door opening interrupted his order.

Itachi fell face first as the door opened. "Itachi-kun!" The wizened Kage ran to the fallen shinobi and gently turned him over. "What happened?"

"I don't know what it was Hokage-sama, but it was strong. It took six minutes to die to my flames sir."

"Did it have blood red hair?!" Danzo asked.

"I..I don't know. I never saw any, but we battled in smoke a lot, and when it wasn't in smoke, it was under my flames." Itachi replied as the hokage called in an ANBU medic to ease his pain.

"Explain to me why you engaged." Sarutobi ordered as the Anbu medic healed Itachi.

"I was tracking him for the last three days. Every time I got close, he gave me the slip, and whenever I lost the trail he let me pick it back up. It was like a game. I tracked him to a cave in the northern mountains. I watch that cave for two days. Just as I was about to give up, he was behind me. I just reacted. Slapped an explosive note onto the tree we were on, set it off, and got distance. Immediately went for the kill, and he caught my tanto. Next thing I know, I have some broken ribs and I'm against the mountain. So I set him on fire. My special fire Hokage-sama." Itachi related his tale.

"Itachi, pinpoint the cave on this map." Hokage unrolled the map and Itachi pointed.

"Danzo."

"Yes hokage-sama." The bandaged man started to leave the office.

"Oh, and Danzo?" The Hokage peered at his back.

"Yes?"

"You better go yourself." The kage ordered the man.

"Yes Hokage-sama." The door clicked shut behind him.

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Naruto smiled as they set up camp. Finally, all his clones had dispersed. "Kakashi-sensei! I think I mastered the jutsu!"

"Which one Naruto?" Kakashi looked up from the flames of the campfire.

"All of them Kakashi-sensei!" The whiskered shinobi replied.

"Lets go to the other clearing, you have a few that the others do as well." Kakashi stood and started walking towards a clearing a few feet back.

Sai and Sakura shared a glance before starting to run through handsigns repeatedly.

Two Hours Later

Kakashi walked back to the clearing caring the collapsed form of Naruto. "You did well kid. You used shadow clones didn't you?" He spoke softly so as to not disturb the camp's sleeping residents.

"Yea Sensei, I remembered Jiji saying anything they learned I learned. So I used it. Just like he would have wanted me to." A yawn punctuated the explanation.

"You haven't mastered them yet, they take a bit too much chakra to be mastered, but they are at least learned. Get some rest Naruto." He gently laid the already sleeping youth in his sleeping back before going back outside. He swiftly crossed the camp to a lone tent on the other side. He entered it and shook awake the only person inside.

"Tazuna, we have to talk." Kakashi said while looking at the now awake bridge builder.

 **AN:**

 **Hello people, my name is Zero, and I am your friendly neighborhood author! All joking aside, I have an announcement. This story will now be posted on Mondays. Normally I post a chapter on Sunday and then another on Mondays, but as a student whose work load is slowly growing, I need my weekends to work on the bane of all students' existence: Homework.**

 **Also thank you to all of you who are following, and reviewing.**

 **Sincerely**

 **Zero**


	8. Shadows Condense part 3

"What are we getting into?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly.

Tazuna sighed and wiped his face with the towel as he stared into the flames. "What makes ya think ya aren't on a standard protection mission?"

"I was informed that it wasn't. You can't lie to the ones that make it their lives to lie Tazuna." There was a hint of steel in the normally jovial voice of Kakashi Hatake.

"Ya want the full story, the sob story, or the gritty reality?" Tazuna looked from the flames to meet the gaze of the Shinobi in front of him.

"You know the answer to that already. Stop procrastinating, what. Are. We. Walking. Into?"

"I wasn't happy when I was assigned genin. I gave as much money as I could, but I made sure dat the report was as messed up as possible while still being accepted. I knew your Hokage could spot it. I was hopin' fo' a group of Chunin, maybe evena coupl'a Jonin. I sure as hell wasn't thinkin' of _children_. What kinda village y'all runnin' sendin' children inta war zone?" Tazuna tangled his fingers in his hair and lightly pulled. "Da Hell was he thinkin'? Gato gonna kill 'em all."

"I suspected it was close to a war… I think we will be okay." Kakashi thought aloud.

"Whatcha mean ya think y'all be fine? They are KIDS Kakashi! They don't need this!" Tazuna was flabbergasted by the way the commander of the genin was treating the threat to his charges' lives.

"Is it open warfare? Or cold? Or is it on the brink of civil war?" Kakashi asked before looking up and gazing at the stars.

"It was cold, with light theft of food by da villagers." Tazuna said. "But dat was a week orso ago now. Lotta coulda changed."

"My team can handle anything short of full shinobi warfare. I'm confident." Kakashi stated.

"Explain ta me ya reasonin'. 'Cause I admit, I don't see it." Tazuna looked at the tent that held the sleeping genin.

"Sakura is a genius when it comes to general knowledge. Already she has the control to learn medic based techniques. Sai, Sai is the epitome of shinobi. He can and will strike from the best position, at the best time, to render the enemy either defeated, or weakened. And Naruto… Naruto while he seems stupid, there is so much more there. Last night I gave each a scroll of six jutsu. I expected them to have one down by the time we get to Wave. Sakura and Sai will likely make that goal. Naruto, blew it out of the water by learning all of them _today._ I suspect shadow clones. But you have to understand, what my team lacks in pure power, or pure experience, they more than make up for. If worst came to worse, I don't doubt they could take on a Jonin until I could get there. There would be injuries, but they would all walk away." Kakashi spoke with a confidence that only a teacher could have when speaking of their students. Tazuna looked at him wide-eyed.

"Ya think dat they are good enough to keep me safe?"

"I know they are. Naruto, himself, could pull it off with that shadow clone jutsu of his. Remember all it takes to stop a kage is a single Kunai." Kakashi smiled with his eye at Tazuna. "Don't worry. My team will keep you safe, and we will ensure that bridge is done. If that means we eliminate Gato, so be it."

Tazuna grunted his response before going back to his tent. It wasn't until he was about to drift into sleep that he realized that Kakashi was smiling when talking of killing Gato. ' _Shinobi are weird'_

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The gigantuian fox glared at the man. He just wouldn't shut up. How was an immortal fox supposed to sleep when its roommate would not shut up!

"You know Kyuubi-sama, I think I am about done. Hehehe" Viscrag stated as he stared into the slitted pupil of the Nine Tailed Fox.

"Done? Finally, I can sleep." Slowly the eye of the fox started to close.

"Hehe, watch, Soon, I'll be FREE!" with that high pitched squeal, Viscrag started to wiggle and squirm until the chains around his arms loosened.

"You are an idiot shade. There is no way you can escape!" The Kyuubi growled at the maroon haired entity.

Viscrag just giggled as he jerked his arms forward with enough force to break both elbows. Slowly he pushed the now backward folded arms through the gap in the chains until they were both free. With sickening crunches and pops, the arms slowly mended themselves. "Ahh good as new. Amazing what your healing factor plus my own can do isn't Kyuubi-sama?"

"You still aren't free."

"Not yet.." Slowly Viscrag started to pull the chains way from his body. With each chain he grunted and forced his large amount of strength to bare. Finally, he heaved the last chain from around his neck and dropped onto the water filled floor.

"See, Free." Viscrag giggled. He started to walk toward the Kyuubi.

"Ha. And it only took you 12 years to pull it off." The Kyuubi sneered.

"What are you talkin-" Viscrag spoke until he was interrupted by thirty voices in his head screaming in agony. He dropped to his knees and held his temples. "MAKE IT STOP!"

"Why shade? Did you say you are all? You are pain. Surely a small headache won't stop you." The Kyuubi smiled widely.

Slowly the shade stopped screaming in agony and shakely stood. "You know, you didn't have to take such a gamble."

"Who the hell are you? Where is the Shade's personality." The Kyuubi was confused. He planned to absorb the Shade, by absorbing his chakra back. Eliminating the threat in his hyper-dense chakra.

"I've been fighting for control for 12 years now Kyuubi. Surely, you were aware?" The Shade smiled. "Soon, Viscrag will be back, but he won't be as insane this time. Even now he is absorbing the lesser spirits"

"I knew he was constantly battling the spirits inside his mind, I didn't assume you would be able to take control as my chakra was attacking." The Kyuubi prepared itself for battle.

"As we speak, Your chakra is eradicating the three spirits that are attempting to force Viscrag to crave human destruction. You must understand, Shades will naturally despise humanity. But, some, can gain a shade's respect. Just like I did."

"Who the hell are you!?" Kyuubi roared.

"Can't you guess? I thought you were the smartest of your siblings Kurama!"

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They were just packing up the camp when Naruto collapsed.

"Naruto!" Sakura started to run toward her downed team mate when an explosion of pitch black chakra surrounded him.

"Oh no…" Kakashi lifted his headband to expose his sharingan, "Sai Sakura, grab Tazuna! Behind me. If I tell you to run, RUN. Straight to the village."

"But Sensei!" Sakura began.

"That is a fucking ORDER!" Kakashi lowered himself to the ground in a crouch and began to hold his left wrist.

The black vile chakra started to condense, forming into wailing faces frozen in agony as the pressure in the clearing slowly grew. Each in the clearing felt as if they were drowning in a wave of fury and hatred. The grass started to be pulled up by the chakra's fierce rotation around Naruto.

"See, Free." A high pitched, dark voice lashed out from the storm of chakra. Before the same voice started screaming.

Slowly before Kakashi's Sharingan, the black chakra was sparkled with red bubbling chakra. Soon, the black chakra was in an equal ratio, before the red overtook the black and started to pull. Kakashi stood from his crouch finally as the last of the chakra was pulled back into the seal. Leaving a shivering Naruto.

"I don't know what you did Naruto, but you sure as hell did well." Kakashi whispered to the young boy as he pulled him onto his back.

"We are pulling out of this mission. Tazuna, what you just witnessed will get you hunted down, and slaughtered if you ever speak of it. Ill petition for ANBU to complete the mission in our stead." Kakashi said.

"Sensei? Why are we pulling out? And What was that!?" Sakura asked.

"That seems to be from Naruto, possibly a bloodline limit that is unknown. The shinobi code dictates that if a mission has an unknown attached or discovered, that the hokage must make the decision on if its continued. Judging from the vileness of that, the Hokage won't agree to us continuing." Sai answered Sakura in a deadpan.

"Simply, it wasn't an unknown. It is classified. But what it means is that Until told otherwise, Naruto is not fit for duty. This mission is impossible for us without Naruto." Kakashi looked at each of his genin before continuing. "We go double time to the village. Sai, containment."

Tazuna's brow furrowed, "Wait double-" He slumped down as Sai knocked him out and unrolled a scroll. "I can't keep him in this scroll for long, Sensei. Father hasn't taught me the necessary hydration seals yet." With a single handsign, ink erupted from the scroll and surrounded Tazuna, before sinking back into the scroll, taking the bridge builder with it.

"Understood. We should get to the village in three hours going full speed. Move out"

The clearing was empty in less than a second.

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A chunin ran into the office out of breath and holding a single scroll. The Hokage stood his hands behind his back as he stared past the outer most wall of the village, his pipe clenched between his teeth. "Hokage-sama! A hawk message from Sector 5! Priority 6!"

"Leave it on the desk, and wait for more orders, I have a feeling you will be fetching some people for me." Hiruzen spun from the window and grabbed the scroll from the desk. He rapidly read the contents and scowled. "Damn it why now? Chunin, what is your name?"

"Samsus Sir!"

"Samsus-kun, I need you to go to the Police Building, and grab Fugaku. He's newest ward is returning from a mission that is now deemed classified. He will want to know details. Also stop by the hospital. I want the head medic Kurosi, and two nurses here in less than twenty minutes. Dismissed." The old Kage commanded as he reached into his desk and pulled out a single scroll.

The Chunin disappeared in a shunshin, as Sarutobi unsealed his helmet and armor from the scroll.

"If I must, I am sorry Minato…" He slowly began to change into his battle dress.

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Kakashi darted through the branches, his team trailing behind. _'We currently have three full teams of ANBU around us. Fuck. If they attack, Naruto will die, I can't stop all of them…'_ "Team Seven, step it up! I can see the wall through the trees!"

"Yes Sensei!" Both students spoke as they forced their tired bodies to increase their speed.

Within moments, the team with their watchers reached the gates of Konoha, and Kakashi looked wide-eyed at the battle-attire clad Hiruzen Sarutobi. With him was Fugaku Uchiha and an extremely old man wearing a cloak with the Uchiha crest on the shoulders. "Hokage-sama?"

"Halt Kakashi. Fugaku, your ward is there. Renchi-dono, please examine the seal. You are the only seal master present. Squads 4,9 and 13, disperse!" Hiruzen ran through a few handsigns before biting his thumb and slamming his hand on the ground. "Summoning! Enma!" A large humanoid ape with pure white fur appeared.

"What is going on Saru?" The summon growled.

"I am unsure if _that_ is loose, and I'd rather have all our bases covered beforehand." The aged Kage replied.

' _Hokage-sama is being extremely cautious. Could I have killed that thing?'_ Kakashi thought before speaking," Hokage-sama, a stage two event occurred. It seems the roommate and the landlord stopped the inmate from leaving."

"Indeed? Renchi, can you confirm?" The oldest person in the meeting, who was crouched beside the unconscious Naruto staring at his bare stomach intently. "I can"

Hiruzen peered at Kakashi, "Do they know? Or not?" His eyes flicked toward each of Naruto's teammates.

"Standard protocol Hokage-sama." Came the reply.

"I see. Kurosi, full evaluation! Fugaku, do you want Naruto to stay in the village or continue the mission?" Hiruzen looked at the head of the Uchiha.

"With the current scenario, he needs to be out of the village. Otherwise, the villagers will blame him, and that isn't what is happening." Fugaku smiled at the sleeping shinobi.

"Hokage-sama, are you asking us to…?" Kakashi questioned.

"Continue your mission Kakashi, as soon as Kurosi clears Naruto-kun. In fact, Squad 3!" Instantly five shinobi appeared behind the Kage. "Once they are cleared, travel with them, I want them to get to wave by the end of the day."

"Yes sir!"

"Naruto is cleared Hokage-sama, Kakashi-san. He is to refrain from fighting for 24 hours." Kurosi stood and straightened his pants. "Is that all you needed Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, dismissed." In a blur the medic was gone, back to his paperwork at the hospital.

"Give this to Naruto once he completes the jutsu you gave him. His… _bloodline_ will benefit from its contents." Fugaku handed a scroll over to Kakashi who replied with an eye smile.

"'Kay"

The ANBU in a white cloak walked forward, and in a blur ran through handsigns before slamming their hand to the ground. In a giant poof of smoke, a dragonfly appeared.

"Ah, Flutter, you still working with this smuck?" Kakashi joked with the summon.

"Of course, he doesn't smell like dog chow." The dragonfly replied in a deep baritone.

"Flutter-kun, please expand, we have a team to transport to wave." The ANBU captain asked in a gruff voice.

"Fine Slave-driver…" With another explosion of smoke, the small Dragonfly expanded into a twelve-foot-long version of himself. "hop on."

As Team Seven climbed aboard, the ANBU captain ordered his team. "Positions! We fly to Wave. After drop off we continue with our mission!" His orders were met with a chorus of "Yes Captain!"

In a buzz of wings, the two teams were gone.

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Fugaku strode into the Hokage's office, and sat on the couch present. With a deep sigh he ran his fingers through his black hair.

"Fugaku, what can I do for you?" Hiruzen asked.

"Uzumaki is one of my worries. Some of the clan saw the dregs of chakra in the air all the way from the village." The Uchiha clan-head responded.

"Surely you can explain that away?"

"Of course. But did you see his body? Really looked at it I mean." Fugaku asked.

"No, I was watching Kakashi."

"He was lither. The last time I saw him, he was built more for sturdy power. Now he has a speed-based body-type. Compact muscles, and defined core. His skin is also not the tan it was normally, but a lighter shade." Fugaku listed the differences his Sharingan noticed to the village leader.

"The transformation was halted. Tell me, do you believe that the Clan is the best for him?" Hiruzen asked.

"Yes. All our research states that they are vuneralble to ocular genjutsu. That doesn't even mention the fact that we can predict any attack that the shade does. However, we are also able to teach Naruto's his father's taijutsu, since I personally memorized it, and Shusui has adapted a form of it himself." Fugaku answered.

"I see, so you have no desire to use it?" Hiruzen steeled his appearance.

"No, it's much too dangerous to control. It is not a beast, and highly intelligent. Trying to use it would be stupid." Fugaku easily replied.

"When he returns, he will be emotiontally compromised. They are stepping into a civil war Fugaku."

"Why did you approve his placement then? You had him in the village, and we could watch him. Why place him in a scenario where he could lose control."

"Because he isn't _in the Village._ He is in a small country that in truth, the Fire Nation doesn't care about. The worst case scenario, Naruto is lost to the shade inside, the Kyuubi is released, and Konoha gets a new jinchuriki, all while Wave is destroyed, Gato is killed, and We as a village, prosper." The old Kage stated as he packed his pipe, and started to light it.

Fugaku looked on in silent shock. This old man was ruthless… "Hokage-sama, that seems a tad extreme."

"The best case scenario is much better. Team seven returns, extremely battle hardened. They are easily Chunin level, and due to their actions, we have Wave as an ally." A perfectly formed smoke ring punctuates the sentence.

"But the negative is the loss of Kakashi, and the heir to the Hino-clan." Fugaku countered the argument.

"Gaka-san is expecting another child with his lovely wife. I received the news just last week." Hiruzen calmly stated.

"You are sending my ward as a weapon Hiruzen!" Fugaku finally snapped.

"No I am sending him as a shinobi Fugaku, the actual chances of the worst case scenario occurring are now less than two percent! Naruto was in control during the last of the event, and he _stopped it_." Hiruzen sniped back.

"He knows?"

"Of course he knows!" Hiruzen said. "I told him myself after he became a genin. I told him the risk, the potential rewards, and worse. What would happen if it escaped and he couldn't control it."

The elderly Kage suddenly looked twice as old. "I had to tell a child that I treated like my own grandson for the last decade, that if he lost control, I would have to kill him. I have never seen Naruto look so heartbroken. He hasn't treated me quite the same since."

"Of course not, you admitted that you would choose the village over him Sensei." A voice from behind him spoke out.

"Hello Jiraiya, it's a pleasure to have you in the village." Hiruzen calmly ignored the unspoken question.

"Fugaku, it would be in your best interests to leave. Sensei and I have a discussion to have. And you won't want to be here for it." Jiraiya walked around the desk, his normally jovial expression cold and hard.

The Uchiha swiftly left. As he closed the door behind him he heard,"Who the fuck do you think you are!?" coming from Hiruzen. "I'm the only shinobi in this village that can kill you, old man! And I just found out you gave my GODSON away-" Jiraiya's response was partially cut by the closing of the door.

"Don't interrupt, and I would advise calling a few squads of ANBU, Lord Jiraiya is furious." Fugaku spoke to the scared receptionist before leaving the tower. _Hmm maybe I should try some of that new Ramen from Ichiraku's._

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As the dragonfly transported the ANBU away from the coast, Kakashi told Sai, "Unseal the bridge builder. It's time for Naruto to awake."

Swiftly, the scroll holding Tazuna was unflared, placed on the ground and Sai was going through a series of fifteen handsigns multiple times. "Sorry, I don't want to mess up the unsealing process. Its something I have not practiced as much as the initial sealing." Sai apologized before slamming his hands on the two matrixes on the sides of a blob of ink. "Hijutsu, choju-giga-kai!" The ink blob blasted forward before stopping, and slowly retracting, leaving a sleeping Tazuna laying in front of the scroll.

Sai started to pant as he rolled the scroll back up. "Check him please Sakura, I barely had enough chakra to preform that… If he was a shinobi, I wouldn't have had enough at all…"

"He is fine, Sai. You did well." Sakura said after a swift examination. "Now for Naruto-"

"No, you take Tazuna and stay behind me. I am unsure how Naruto will react to being awoken." Kakashi lightly set down his burden, and waited for his orders to be followed before slapping Naruto's left cheek.

Instantly, Naruto's eyes snapped open and a kunai was at Kakashi's throat. It was mirrored by the kunai at Naruto's. The fog in Naruto's eyes slowly cleared, and he relaxed. "Sorry sensei, normally when people wake me with a slap, they follow through with other things…" Naruto jokingly said.

"Its fine, how do you feel?" Kakashi doesn't move the kunai from Naruto's jugular.

"Fine. Why don't you move your knife sensei?"

"Because less than four hours ago, you were a few seconds from letting _it_ out." Kakashi growled.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Give me a moment? I'll make sure it's all fine."

"Fine. You know my orders however." Kakashi took three steps back and crouched.

Naruto sat down and took three deep breaths. Slowly he let his mind drift away, just as Jiji told him to.

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"Interesting." A young man said as he sat up and gazed to the south west. "It seems I am not alone after all." He rolled out of the bed he was laying in, and started to pull on clothes. Black on black with red accents. Just as he liked. After getting dressed, he walked through to another portion of the cave he called home. He stopped as he entered his 'living room'. "Hello. You seem to have entered my home without knocking. Would you like me to knock your heads in?" He tossed his scarlet hair back as he laughed at his own joke.

"Hello Saud. I have orders to eliminate you." The two Root agents started to move to sides as Danzo entered to the cavern. Saud smiled viciously at the left arm on the elder that was normally covered in bandages, uncovered.

"You seem to have done some improvements… Since I tore off that abomination the last time you ran after me." Saud spoke as he flexed his fingers.

"Yes, after our last confrontation, I realized that I should focus on my own strengths..." Danzo raised his left arm, which was peppered with small indentions as if it was clay battered by children with marbles. Slowly wisps of chakra started to ease from the indentions before Danzo swung his arm through the air, unleashing a massive blade of wind. "Fuuton, Eddie Scythe."

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Naruto stood infront of the cage that normally housed the Nine Tailed Fox and the shade. Yet now only the fox sat behind the bars. "Oh no…"

"Hello boy… My name is Viscrag."


	9. Shadows Condense part 4

Naruto: Shaded Chapter Nine

Naruto stood paralyzed as Viscrag walked toward him. Splish Splash Splish Splash. The sounds of Viscrag's pale feet parted the water of Naruto's Mindscape. An aura of pure malice, of vicious intent, the craving, no the _need_ to murder everything in sight washed over the young shinobi, more intense with each step the Shade took. Finally, Viscrag stopped a mere two inches from Naruto. By this point, Naruto was experiencing tremors from the aura that the shade was producing.

Viscrag jerks his head forward a centimeter and says "Boo!"

In an instant, Naruto darts back, and shoves a hand into his kunai pouch. He flicks his eyes up to make sure the fox won't interfere, and looks back at Viscrag. His eyes widen when he sees that the Shade is gone. His eyes sweep the room, yet the water is still, the seal calm. He slips his hand from his pouch and freezes.

"You know, you are very tense, boy. Almost as if you were scared… Are you scared of me Naruto-chan?" Viscrag whispered in Naruto's ear, his arm casually draped over his shoulder. Viscrag lightly tapped the lower spine of the young shinobi. "Good… you should be."

Naruto shivered in disgust with every word, as the Shade's hot putrid breath breezed by his face. He gathered his courage and blurted "How the hell are you out?!"

"Out? By out I assume you mean free? Oh boy… boy boy, I'm not free. Otherwise you wouldn't be you and I wouldn't be me. No, little Shinobi, I'm not free. But I will be. The little ball and chain that keeps me here," he punctuates this comment by tapping Naruto's skull,"Will fail. Slowly, it crumbles even now. Soon… Soon Viscrag will be free to roam." A high chuckle follows the statement.

"Shade, your three minutes are up. Leave." A deep throaty voice echoed in the chamber.

"Fine, Kyuubi-sama. I'll let you speak to the boy now. Naruto-chan, I'll be watching. We are always watching…" His laughter slowly faded away as he walked deeper into the mindscape.

"Kyuubi! What is going on here?!" Naruto demanded of the Nine Tailed Fox.

"Shut up, listen, and listen well. Shades are some of the most fucked up things to ever exist. Via recent events, I have bought you some time. I don't know how long until the seal will deteriorate enough for him to take control of you, and through you, me. I'm working on checking it." The Kyuubi began.

"Why should I trust you?! I'm hated because people can't tell that I'm not you! You live inside me _for free_ I might add!" Naruto screamed out his frustrations at the fox. He spoke of everything that the fox caused, from his orphaning, to his childhood, to every hardship. Yet not once, did he ever blame the Kyuubi. Finally, the Fox interrupted. "You talk a lot, yet say little. You will trust me because I am the known. That _thing_ is not known at all. You have only two chances. One, you get strong enough to kill it in your own mindscape, where it is arguably invincible. Or two, you resist enough to gain respect. Either way, as you are, you will be rolled up, crushed like a grape, and thrown to the side nearly as fast as if I would attack!"

"He is nearly as strong as you?!" Naruto was amazed, how can anything be as strong as the Kyuubi?

"No, he is more efficient with his strength. One on one, I will crush him, every single time. However, compared to you, the effect would be the same. Now, stop talking, and pay attention. Gain strength, as fast as possible. If we are to survive, you must be able to hold him off. You have great will kid, USE it. Use _everything_. Tear your body to pieces, don't worry, I'll put it back together. Learn everything you can. As per our deal, he cannot learn what you do from the time he exited the cage onward. So, learn everything. Become strong, or I will do what I must to survive. Even if it means eradicating you." The giant fox turned, and walked deeper into his cage leaving a flabbergasted shinobi behind.

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Danzo slashed left and right with his arm while ordering his two companions to attack. The left masked Root agent darted forward, his tanto raised in a stabbing form. The right back flipped over an Eddie Scythe from Danzo as he flipped through several handsigns. As soon as the masked shinobi was facing Saud, he spat flames toward the shade.

Saud ducked the Wind Jutsu, and grabbed the tanto before it could pierce his heart. He grabbed the wrist of the tanto-wielding Root agent, and threw him into the fireball's path. He laughed as he took a deep inhale of the scent of charred flesh. "Mmm, the best smell in the morning. Come Danzo, give me more entertainment!" As soon as the last syllable left his lips, he blasted forward. He reached out with a single hand for the mask of the final Root shinobi. Just as his fingertips grazed the smooth percaline, he was blasted in the stomach. The impact shot Saud back from the masked agent, and forced him into a crouch to slow his momentum. He looked down at his shirt. "You learned a new trick Danzo. Too bad. You ruined my favorite shirt!"

Saud went through two handsigns, bird and tiger. "Water style, Stream wave!" From his mouth, Saud blasted a stream of water. Danzo whipped his left arm around in an attempt to cut the technique in half. When it became apparent that the water technique would blast through the Eddie Scythe the masked agent jumped infront of Danzo.

The eldest person in the cave winced as he heard the cracking laugh in response to the piercing scream of his last agent.

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Naruto slowly opened his eyes. _'Why was the fox helping me? It's not like I ever did anything for it. I don't understand. But the shade is out of the cage, but not free yet. I could still fight. I could still-'_

"Naruto! Report!" Kakashi's voice interrupted the internal peptalk that Naruto was having.

"Sorry Sensei. We have a problem. _It_ isn't free. But it is working on becoming free. The second roommate is trying to suppress the issue. And, the second roommate offered help… What do I do Kakashi-sensei?" A single tear rolled down Naruto's cheek.

Kakashi looked at his young genin. Here was a young kid, not a shinobi. Here was a kid who if he didn't do absolutely everything right, he would die, and kill everyone who mattered to him. A burden that Kakashi could not understand, but he didn't need to understand.

"Kid, we are gonna train your ass off. We are going to make sure that if it comes down to it, you are strong enough to suppress it." He smiled as he saw the steel like determination creep into Naruto's eyes.

"We have no clue what it is, but we got your back Naruto!" Sakura smiled at him, as Sai attempted to mimic the gesture.

"Thanks guys… Let's go, we have a mission to complete!" Naruto made a single handsign, as another of him popped into existence. "Carry Tazuna!"

The team strode forward into the clutches of the war torn country.

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Danzo ducked to the left as the tree that was just at his back a few moments ago exploded into shrapnel. He swiftly moved away from the cave. ' _this is a bust. Saud is much too dangerous to go against alone. I still learned a lot however. A water type. Makes sense now that I think about it.'_ A blast of water nailed him in the back as he jumped toward a low branch. With a poof of smoke, a log took his place just as Saud landed in the clearing.

"Come out come out where ever you are… there!" A blast of water slams into a tree branch nearly forty feet away. A dark blur races from the branch as it falls, heading toward the Leaf village.

"Oh a pity… At least I got a souvenir." Saud eyes the arm he clutches in his right hand. "Though, the craters sure are ugly. Eh, it's too ugly for my wall." With that, Saud tosses the arm away, and strolls toward his cave home.

"Come back again Danzo! It was fun tearing you a new one!" His laugh echoed back to the old man who was clutching the stump of his left shoulder as he ran toward his home.

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Fugaku sat in his office twiddling with a blank scroll. He was lost in thought about the case he currently was facing. For the first time in years, there was a serial killer. A serial killer good enough to kill six Uchiha. A serial killer who stole eleven Uchiha eyes. Sharingan were missing and Fugaku had no leads to the killers. A knock interrupted his musings, and he looked up.

"Yes?"

"Sir we have the Hokage's Grandson. He was painting the western wall of the Uchiha district. Again." The officer who opened the door, spoke with a small amount of irritation.

"Fine, I'll see him. " Fugaku sighed, he didn't have time for this brat's attacks. Taking valuable man power to clear up the mess, and catch the kid. He strode deeper into the Police station before stopping at a solid door. He turned the knob, and opened it only to duck the wooden chair that flew at him.

"Stop that right now Konohamaru! Do not make me formally arrest you!" Konohamaru froze at the fierce glare of the Clan Head.

"Now, tell me exactly why you are desecrating private property, and explain me why I shouldn't tell Hokage-sama." Fugaku commanded as he entered the room.

"You took him away!" Konohamaru yelled.

"What are you talking about child?" Fugaku asked. Surely, Konohamaru didn't have any friends with the victims… right?

"He is not a bargaining chip that you can use for your stupid politics! Why did you have to take him from us!?" Tears started running down his face as he screamed those words into the Clan Head's face.

"Who are you talking about?!" Fugaku finally yelled back.

"Naruto, you dolt!"

Fugaku froze. Everything the kid was doing was a cry for attention. He just didn't understand the actions of Fagaku, Naruto, and the Hokage. The childish innocence behind the actions made the Uchiha laugh aloud.

When the laughter finally eased, Fugaku looked with softer eyes at the crying child. "Child, I adopted Naruto because he needed it. He could not be a shinobi without my clan's backing."

"Gramps could have backed him!"

"No child, he couldn't. He was considered bias, and due to Naruto's special circumstances, couldn't do anything to help him."

"So you don't love him! Not like we do! He is ours!" Konahamaru ran forward and started hitting the knees of the clan head, crying all the while.

"oh child.." Fugaku wrapped his arms around the now sobbing child. "You think you are losing your family? Child no, you are gaining more family. Naruto will always be my ward, but he will also always be your brother in all but blood."

"Really?" Konohamaru looked up with his tear-stained face. "Promise?"

"I swear. Now, we aren't going to make these messes again are we?" Fugaku gently scolded him.

"No, I won't. I'm sorry."

"Good, now you are going to clean it up, before we go to grab some barbeque." Fugaku smiled at the young boy.

"Yes sir!"

"Come on, lets grab some cleaning supplies." Fugaku lead the child out of the room, all while thinking. ' _Naruto, you build strong connections. Just like the Uchiha.'_

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Saud laid in his stolen bed, lounging after his successful run in with Danzo. "Ah, it's good to be free. It's good to be m-ow." Saud clutches his head as he shoots up. Slowly he pulls his hand away, taking with it some of his hair. "No...NO…NOO… Not right now!" He runs to the portion of the cave that serves as his bathroom. He looks in a lavish mirror he stole years go, and sighs in relief as he sees his maroon eyes. He lets the hair fall, to never be seen again against the dirt.

He winces yet again, his eyes bleeding into a new yet just as dangerous color.

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Fugaku smiled at the young man infront of him. He watched as Konohamaru ate several pieces of barbequed meat, and some vegetables that Fugaku insisted on him having. Mitoto would have his skin if he didn't insist on a child having vegetables with every meal. She was right of course, like every argument they had.

"Hey Uchiha-sama! Thanks for the meal!" The young lad spoke with a large grin.

"No need for the formality child. Just do one thing for me. Tell me about Naruto." Fugaku smiled widely at the excitement that threatened to take over Konohamaru's face.

"Naruto's the best! He is the boss! He makes sure to treat me just like I was anyone else in the family. It doesn't matter that I'm the honorable grandson to him, 'cause Gramps is his too! He says that only way to get strong is via hard work! That any other way is a lie and shouldn't be trusted. He taught me to hold a shuriken too! He is also funny!" He gushed his feelings in a way that only a child could.

"Have you ever seen him get angry?" Fugaku asked.

"Hmmm, once, and it was scary, but he calmed right down as soon as he knew I was there! I think Gramps and him got in a fight though, 'cause they aren't talking anymore." Konohamaru looked down at the table as he said the final portion of his statement.

' _He doesn't treat me the same since that day…'_ Fugaku remembered the Third's words, and continued the line of thought. ' _You didn't want to risk Konohamaru being upset because the Third kept something from you, and told you that he would have to kill you in the worst scenario…Just like an Uchiha…'_ "He sounds like a fabulous young man." Fugaku prepared to leave the money for the bill. "We should go Konohamaru, your mother must be worried sick over you."

"Nah, she shouldn't-" Konohamaru began.

"Yes she will be, the academy let out thirty minutes ago." Fugaku smirked at the panic that was etched across Konohamaru's face.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone if I promised not to do it again!" Konohamaru pointed at the Uchiha clan-head.

"No, I said I wouldn't tell Hokage-sama. I didn't say I wouldn't tell your mother. Now come." Fugaku grabbed the young boy's hand and started to pull him toward the Sarutobi Compound.

"Please don't! Fugaku! Please! Just tell Gramps! Anyone but Mom!" The young man's cries made no difference to the Uchiha.

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A short man in a black suit sat in a gilded throne. He read a book as he hummed a tune. He glanced up as a blur appeared in front of him.

The man stood at 5 foot 9 inches tall, and was covered by a black cloak. His face was covered by a smiling mask with slits instead of eyes.

"The bridge builder has returned. He travels with shinobi of the Leaf." The toneless voice of the guest pierced the silence.

"Good job. As soon as the bridge is finished, kill the builder. If we hold the bridge, we can easily control land trade as well as the shipping. All while not having to worry about the Konoha ninja at all."

"And the continued raids from the villagers on the tax houses?" came the reply.

"Send more thugs. Who cares? It's not like it makes a difference. They'll starve eventually." Gato waved his hand in dismissal.

"Yes sir." The hooded shinobi turned to leave.

"Oh and Huun?"

"Yes?"

"Do ensure that the builder's daughter is brought to me. I hear she is marvelous." Gato sneered.

The shinobi left without a word, his left hand curling around a handle on his leg. ' _This mission better end soon. Otherwise, I'm going to kill that little pest_ '

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Once the shinobi entered Tazuna's home, they were quickly feed, watered and shown their rooms by a very polite, if irritated Tsunami. The source of her irritation seemed to be her son, who upon seeing the shinobi proclaimed "Y'all gonna die!"

Now team seven sat in their sensei's room, as he looked at a map that Tazuna kindly provided of the town.

"Sensei, did you see the children here? They are so… thin." Sakura sadly recalled from the five-minute walk through the village.

"I am more concerned of the lack of thugs." Naruto spoke up from his perch on the window sill.

"Oh, do continue Naruto." Kakashi encouraged.

"Tazuna made it sound like a civil war was going on when in the boat. Why is there not more presence in the largest town in the country then? Also, I had the feeling that as soon as we entered the village, we were being watched. Then it disappeared." Naruto stared out at the moon as it rose in the sky.

"I felt that too, sensei. I thought maybe it was a child being a little too interested." Sai looked up from his sketch book.

"We were watched the entire time by the street kids Sai. It wasn't a kid."Naruto countered.

"How do you know that we were being watched by street kids Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"I felt them. It's hard to explain. Jiji says I don't sense chakra, but I sense something else. Something that not even he understands. But ever since my…episode, it is so much…stronger." Naruto spoke as if from a distance, remembering a portion of his last talk with the Hokage.

Flashback

"There are benefits of course Naruto-kun." The old man puffed his pipe as he stared at his surrogate grandson.

The young blonde sat in the chair in front of the desk, with a slumped posture. If one would walk in, they would immediately say that Naruto was shattered emotionally. The blue eyes that the Sandaime treasured as being the same color as the sea, deepened into a blue, seemingly screaming in sadness. It even appeared that the whisker shaped birthmarks on his cheeks drooped.

"What could they be?" The monotone voice of the young man pierced the air.

"Extreme amounts of chakra, speed, power, and strength increase. From what we have found, you have a sensing ability that does not rely on sensing chakra, as you are able to easily find those who have their chakra sealed to tail you, an extreme healing factor that is borderline regeneration, and we suspect that from the Kyuubi, you could have a fire affinity." The list was read off from memory as if it was reported yesterday.

"How long?" the monotone voice broke with a slight amount of anger.

"How long what Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen asked.

"How long until I do something to upset someone that has the authority to kill me? How long until it becomes common knowledge that I hold not one, but two things that could destroy this village?! HOW LONG UNTIL I WILL BE ALONE AGAIN?!" Naruto's voice rose with every word, until he was screaming the last sentence in the Sandaime's face.

The Sandaime stood from his chair and walked around the desk. He knelt before the chair in Naruto sat on. "Never. The only one that has the authority to kill you is me. I will only do that if that thing as completely erased you and there is no other choice to protect the village. You are now a ward of the Uchiha clan. You have the biggest family in the village. You will never be alone again Naruto…" He pulled the boy into a hug, and frowned at the wall as it wasn't returned.

FLASHBACK OVER

"Jiji doesn't know what causes it, but I suspect it is a Shade related ability. Either way, it's useful. Someone is outside Kakashi-sensei." Naruto looked from the window as a cloud passed over the moon.

 **Author Note**

Beta'd by Gaki


	10. Shadows Condense part 5

Tsunami answered the door by slowly pulling it open. It looked like Samson from the first crew, but that could be a Shinobi trick. _Shinobi always lie Tsunami-chan_ the voice of her mother rang in her ears as she pulled the door open.

In an instant the man was on the ground, the young blond crouching on his back, a sharp knife, no a Kunai as they called it, was placed softly on Samson's throat.

"We nearly thought you were Samson, you know. Whomever you are, you're good" The tall jonin with silver hair and a single eye spoke to the man on the floor.

 **Poof** , with an explosion of smoke, 'Samson' was gone, in his place a single rock with a red tag on it.

"Shit!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed the rock with an explosive note attached, already burning, and throwing it as hard as he could out the still open front door.

 **Babooom!** The resulting explosion rocked the front of the house, as Kakashi covered Tazuna and Tsunami with his body, and Naruto shielded himself from the doorway.

Naruto lowered his now shrapnel pierced forearms, and stared past the crater in the front lawn toward the trees that marked the edge of the property. Standing there leaning against a tall pine was a shinobi. Wearing a black cloak, hood down, a smiling mask sitting on his face, he casually tossed a large knife up into the air before catching it again.

Naruto growled, as he slowly fell into a crouch his kunai at the ready, knowing that this was an enemy. The masked shinobi cocked his head, then nodded. Naruto exploded forward, Kakashi's words of warning falling on deaf ears. With a blur of movement, Naruto was pinned to the ruins of the porch by the same knife that the shinobi was playing with.

"AHHH" Naruto screamed as his forward momentum was halted by a single piece of steel slamming itself deep into his left shoulder and pinning him to the porch. _That shouldn't be possible!_ Naruto's eyes widened as the shinobi appeared, and in his hand was another knife exactly the same as the one embedded in his shoulder.

 _He is fast, strong and dangerous._ Kakashi lifted his forehead protector to show off his Sharingan eye, as he prepared himself for battle.

"Keep your children on leashes if you don't want them dying Copy-Cat. I'm only here to deliver a warning." The masked man's voice lashed out like a whip, cutting through the tensioned air.

"You fucker! You tried to kill us!" Naruto snarled as he tried to wiggle his way free from the knife.

"If I wanted you dead kid, I'd have put that knife through your skull. And not even Copy-Cat Kakashi would have been able to stop me. So shut up, and let the adults speak." The masked man lashed his left foot out and slammed it into the blonde's chin.

"Speak fast, before I put my Raikiri through your heart." Kakashi growled.

"Fine. I have orders from Gato to kill the bridge builder after the bridge is finished, and to hold it for him. I am fine with doing that. What I am not fine with… is that I am supposed to kidnap her now." The masked man points at Tsunami. "The shrimp thinks she is…attractive, and will make him money. However, Raikage-sama would murder me if I took that order. I'd also like to avoid sparking a war if possible, so I'm telling you now. Leave little Leaves, before I am forced to cut you down. Do not make me kill children Copy-Cat. Please." The masked man ducks as a second Kakashi appears behind him, his left hand surrounded by lightning piercing the air where his heart was a few moments ago. A back swift kick, and the clone explodes into smoke, and the masked man darts towards the trees as Kakashi crouches beside the still pinned Naruto.

"Sakura! Sai! Let him through now! He will cut through if he has to!" Kakashi ordered into seemingly empty air. A few moments latter Sai appeared carrying his teammate who was clutching her left leg.

"He swiped Sakura as he passed, it's not deep but it did hinder her movements so we couldn't pursue." Sai dutifully reported.

Kakashi looked down at the knife that was still holding his student down. With a single swift motion, he yanked it free. His eyes widened as he looked at the blade.

"Shit"

"What is it Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto groaned as he sat up, his shoulder steaming as it swiftly knit itself back into one piece.

"This knife belongs to one man, who I'm not entirely sure we could beat. It belongs to the SwordBreaker Huun."

"Who is that Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked confused. Who could be that strong to scare Kakashi-sensei?

"History after we secure the target, Sakura, bunker, Sai, I want traps, Naruto, sentries. Cardinal points, and patrols. Go."

"Yes sensei!"

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Hiruzen puffed his pipe and thought. He thought of many things, and of many futures. Slowly he pulled out a scroll, his brush set, and he began writing.

 _It has been a long time has it not? Yet I fear the time is slowly coming._ It _is going to be free soon, I can feel it inside my brittle bones. Soon the world will change, and the time of my generation will end. So that is why I am writing. I will explain my actions of this past decade, and show you that I am not the weak senile old man that Danzo believes me to be. It all started with the death of Minato, and the sealing of the fox…._

For well over two hours Hiruzen wrote his letter, until the sun had set on his village, and the nightly patrol began its rounds. Just as he signed the scroll and rolled it up, the door way to his office opened.

"Hiruzen… it isn't dead, but I learned much…" with a thud Danzo collapsed onto the floor, his left shoulder bleeding profusely onto the carpet.

"My work is never done." The old shinobi crouched by Danzo's side and his hands started to glow green.  
"You are lucky, Danzo, that I took lessons from my student in the healing arts. I am not as good as she, or any doctor in the hospital, but I am good enough to keep you alive until you reach them."

"My doctors will take care of me, I must report however."

"You always was a stubborn old goat, Danzo. Fine, report." Sarutobi ordered as he closed the wound slowly.

"Saud is extremely dangerous. I took him by surprise, and he still managed to kill two jonin level shinobi, and take my arm. It was a battle that was easily one sided, I kept him at range for the majority, and he countered with high pressure Water jutsu. For the first time since Sensei, my wind jutsu couldn't cut through a water jutsu of a lower level."

"So extremely high water affinity, what else?"

"He was in control; it was not a beast but a monster I was fighting. It was different than last time. The last time I fought him, he was more wild, less coordinated, and I actually wounded him. I thought anyway. I pierced his chest the last time, and tore off my arm before letting me go."

"The arm you worked with _him_ to create?" Sarutobi raised a single eyebrow. Silence met his question before he growled "I asked a question. Answer it."

"Yes, that was ripped away from me effortlessly, while my hand was in his fucking chest!" Danzo finally snapped.

"If I had known you had fought him before and didn't have _that_ arm, I wouldn't have sent you." Sarutobi calmly stated while looking in Danzo's remaining eye.

"You thought I could win? How did you know I had that anyway Hiruzen?"

"Lord Shodai's cells are not just locked away Danzo. The only one with access is me, and me alone. Orochimaru did experiments on civilians without my consent, that is why he was banished, what he did with your arm, and the donated Sharingan of the Uchiha clan was known by me. In fact, there was a failsafe that I ensured was included. You never could use Wood Release could you Danzo?" Sarutobi smirked at the shocked eye of his oldest comrade.

"Yes, Danzo, there is not a single thing in this village that I don't know about." Sarutobi answered the thoughts that were running through Danzo's mind.

"Anything else to report?" Sarutobi asked.

"Not to report, I do have a plan of action however." Danzo replied.

"Elaborate."

"Train Naruto Uzumaki in wind release, and possibly Hatake in Lightning release. Both of them have stronger affinities than I in the village, and while Uzumaki has the beast inside him, he has more chakra than both of us. Hatake has the sharingan thus can keep up with the Shade's movements. Team seven would be the best choice for combat."

"I see, valid points. However, two main issues. One, the only ones capable of training Naruto in wind release are you and my son. The second issue is the larger one. Kakashi-kun can't learn any more lightning release. His current techniques are at their peak, and the only lightning techniques or styles that he does not know are in Kumo. I am not going to send one of my strongest jonin to Kumo to steal techniques, nor will I send any one. There is not a reasonable success rate for such a mission."

"May I suggest a compromise? Have Asuma train him until the Chunin exams in three months. With clones, he should be able to get the basics down. I will take him during the month long training after the second exam, should he make it. That way you can keep an "eye" on me while you do it." Danzo stated.

"And what if I want to train him? It is my right after all." A voice spoke from the window.

"He knows Kage Bushin Lord Jiraiya, he can be trained by us both." Danzo spoke softly.

"He will be trained by me Danzo. And If I find out that you turned him into a killing machine for your own ends, I will bath this village in the blood from your carcass, and Sensei, you know what will happen if you allow it." Jiraiya then flooded the room with killer intent. One by one, the Anbu that were guarding the Hokage dropped from their hiding places, Danzo sank to his knees clenching his chest, and Sarutobi trembled.

"Jiraiya-kun! Enough the point has been made!" Sarutobi yelled as the first of the ANBU started to convulse.

The intent disappeared, and the man by the window glared. "I will train him. And that's final. I don't care if you do so as well Danzo, but keep my warning in mind." Jiraiya vaulted out of the window after his statement.

"Well you heard my student Danzo, you will train a clone, and Jiraiya will train him as well. Now get out."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

As the door shut with a click, the God of Shinobi smiled. _All according to plan._

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"First, you must understand what made the Third Shinobi World War different. For the first time, it was every Village for themselves. While Sand started the conflict, by an invasive search for their Third Kazekage, Kumo and Mist did their part as well. They attacked our allies the Uzumaki. We were having debates at the time, on if to engage, and then we get the message that Uzu is under attack. It took us two days to get there, and by that time it was a blood bath. The Uzu village was a wasteland, but the armies that the two nations attacked with were not without casualties. It took less than four hours for the Leaf to enter the war after we found the village. The entire world was at war, and legends would be made. " Kakashi took a breath as he gazed at his spell bound audience. Tazuna seemed sad, and Tsunami was holding Inari as his genin sat against the walls of the bunker Sakura formed with Earth Grand Wall rush.

"In the early years of the war, Sensei took us, still as genin, into the line. We were to grab info from the line, and return it to the village. It was then that we saw it. At the line was a battle, Mist verses Kumo. Two of the Swordsmen of the Mist were attacking the Raikage who was doing battle with the Mizukage. We of the Leaf were shocked when two genin attacked the Swordsmen each holding a knife. We were even more shocked when they parried the attack at the Raikage's back. Huun and his brother Jin were knocked way. Yet they kept getting up, and interrupting. Finally the battle between the Kage stopped, and they both watched as these genin stopped two of the Swordsmen. That is until Kurira, who wielded the Nuibari, killed Jin after a failed parry. Huun and Juzo stopped their battle, and watched as Jin fell to his death, still bleeding. Huun jumped after him, leaving the Raikage to fend for himself. Or so we thought. Kurira attacked the Raikage hoping to take advantage and it took Juzo blocking the attack. Huun had attacked with both knives this time, and was according sensei, a "Darvish Specialist". He specialized in using special knives called Darvishes. Naruto you are intimately familiar with them," Kakashi nodded to the genin who held his shoulder. "We watched this genin hold off both the Swordsmen, and then… the unthinkable happened. Juzo's Kubikiribocho, snapped from a special parry done by Huun, it was his blade breaking that allowed Huun to kill Kurira, and give him the name SwordBreaker Huun. Juzo grabbed the Nuibari, the rest of the kubikiribocho, and the Mizukage who was losing against the Raikage slowly, and retreated. "

"Even as a genin that guy was strong!" Sakura exclaimed.

"No, as a genin he had an advantage. We found out later via more encounters with Huun that he was an extremely gifted sensor. His brother was a great sensor as well, but was fighting the wrong shinobi. Kurira was the first, and to my knowledge, only sensor to have wielded one of the Swords of the Mist, so Jin was found out, and he died because of it. Huun was also faster than his brother, so he was able to hide it slightly better." Kakashi explained.

"What does sensing have to do with fighting on that level sensei?" Sai asked.

"Sensing, like what Naruto can do, is the ability to find locations. In a squad a sensor is the eyes and ears of the team. What Huun can do is using that same ability predict action." Kakashi stated.

"Jiji said it was similar to what a well-trained Byakugan is capable of. They don't have the same level of precognition as the Sharingan, but they are able to tense muscles in response." Naruto replied.

"I didn't know that. I'll have to talk to Hokage-sama." Kakashi muttered.

"Do you think we can complete the mission Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Honestly? Yes, but doing so just became much more difficult." Kakashi replied.

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Huun sat on a branch overlooking the village that Gato took over in his greed. Lightly he tossed the knife in his hand up and down, its silver blade flashing in the moonlight.

For the first time since his brother, he found someone who sensed him coming. Without a dojutsu nonetheless! A smile stretched across his face under his smiling mask. Oh this mission just became fun! _Is he another legend in the making? Or is he just another stepping stone? Ohh this is exciting!_

Slowly he took off his mask, and stared at the full moon. "You know brother… it's been twenty-two years now. For the first time, I allowed another to hold your knife. Does that mean anything to you? Or nah? I remember what you said..." He replaced his mask, pocketed his knife and Shunshined to the middle of the village.

Flipping his hood up quickly he darted to the taxation house. He slammed his fist into the stomach of the largest thug guarding the door. As the man folded up nearly in half, he snapped a kick to each side, hitting each of the rushing thugs. He strolled forward, and entered the building. As the door shut, the night was silent once more.

Three hours later, the village would wake up to a massive explosion, and every house would be full of smiling children. They would eat like kings for a while now.

Huun stood at attention as the midget in front of him paced and yelled. "They took all the food in the fucking building, then BLEW IT UP! All the money, MY MONEY, gone! Huun what are you going to do about it?!"

"Nothing Gato"

"What did you just fucking say?! NOTHING? Why the fuck not?!" The spittle from the midget splattered on Huun's mask. His hand darted forward, and grabbed Gato by the throat.

"I'm not going to do a fucking thing you little cockroach, because I told you what was going to happen. You have pushed these people to the point that they will do anything to fucking eat. You want a country fine, this mission just became S rank. I demand 20 million upfront."

Gato paled. "The Raikage said you are to obey me! You are here on an A rank only! And you are to be my security enforcement until your contract is up!"

"The Raikage also stated that my contract was for three months. I have spent the last two months ensuring your wellbeing. Now you are asking me to abandon that mission, and to conquer this country for you. As I said before you little cockroach. You want a country; I'll get you a country. For 20 million up front." Huun stated before throwing Gato back into his chair. _'I guarantee you won't keep your fucking country. Because as soon as you have it, I'll kill you.'_

The shinobi began to walk out. He was stopped by Gato's voice. "Wait! You want 20 million?! Fine! You got it! Now I want my fucking country!"

"Pleasure doing business with you Gato."

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 _ **Author's Notes**_

 _ **Well y'all its come to that time of year again. Finals. I'm a college student and my classes do come before this. Im sorry but my updates are going to be sparse, as I gear towards the end of my classes.**_

 _ **This chapter was not Beta'd since I spur of the moment wrote it. If there is a person available 24/7 who would like to beta please let me know. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!  
Zero**_


	11. Shadows rise Part 1

Inochi sat in his office, his gaze unfocused as he thought of his last session. He shuddered to think of that look on his daughter's face. He sighed and started to write the report on Uzumaki's mental evaluation, as he replayed the conversation using an audio capturing seal.

"Tell me about what went wrong Naruto." Inochi asked the blond shinobi who looked at the bottle of the oak desk.

"I guess it all started three days after we met Huun."

 **FLASHBACK**

Naruto, Sai, and Sakura were gathered around the kitchen table looking over a map of the area.

"That makes no sense Naruto. The villagers wouldn't let anyone stay anywhere near the houses." Sakura repeated herself for seemingly the hundredth time.

"Why wouldn't they Sakura? Think about it. They are around the houses, they have line of sight on the victims, they are able to hid amongst the villagers who aren't active in the rebellion, and they may have access to water. This is an island Sakura, we don't have an issue with water thanks to Sai, but we also don't know where the nearest spring is…"

"It is fourteen clicks north." The painter of the group pointed at a heavily forested portion of the map.

"Why couldn't they be around there then?" Sakura circled the area with a finger.

"Because my genin, that is much too far for anyone other than a shinobi to cover in less than 2 hours. Which is the amount of time between attacks." Kakashi appeared with Tazuna who had just finished his building day.

"Exactly, they have to be around the houses. Or at least in the woods around town." Naruto repeated.

"Wrong again. You are assuming that it isn't a shinobi who is kidnapping the thugs and now, villagers." Kakashi calmly interjected.

"Who was kidnapped sensei?" Sai asked.

"A buddy o' mine. Jamie's his name. A large bucko too. It wouldn'a been easy I'll say." Tazuna answered the question between sips from a bottle of sake.

"Before you ask, we already looked at the area where Jamie was last seen. Two sets of tracks, no scents, and two tracks leading away from the clearing. They disappear four feet into the woods." Kakashi cut in before his team could demand to see the area.

"Genjutsu then?" Sakura asked the team.

"It may be. Does that match Huun's known methods though sensei?" Sai asked always the most cautious of the three.

"Does it matter if it matches what is known? Huun is a shinobi, a good one at that, he could know S-Rank Genjustu and never tell anyone, or use it enough for it to be documented. Or he could have just as easily killed him, sealed him, put a clone there, and had the clone walk with him until they both could shunshin away. At least, that was what happened during the Skirmish at Bridie. " Naruto spoke.

Sakura looked at him with a gapping mouth, and Sai cocked his head. Kakashi narrowed his eye before asking, "Naruto, how do you know about that?"

"Know what sensei?" Naruto was confused by the looks he was getting.

"You just mentioned a lesser known cause for a battle of the first shinobi world war Naruto. I only know it due to ANBU looking at that mission as an example of assassination." Kakashi asked. _'I didn't even think of that possibility. It doesn't match Huun's methods but it does match Kumo's. They were the ones that did it first anyway.'_

"Did I? That… makes no sense. I don't know history sensei." Naruto cocked his head before shaking it. "Anyway, I still think that the kidnappings are being done by Gato."

"Agreed, however I suspect its Huun actually doing the work. From now on, Tsunami and Inari aren't allowed anywhere out of the bunker, without an escort of either two of you, or myself." Kakashi ordered his team. "Now, get some rest, dinner will be soon, and then night shifts and training."

"Yes sensei!"

 **FLASHBACK END**

"You say that Kakashi suspected that Huun was kidnapping villagers and thugs?" Inochi questioned.  
"Yea, sensei said that I said something that made him wonder later." Naruto replied automatically. His eyes still locked with the bottom of the desk.

"Do you know what you said?" Inochi asked.

"No. I don't remember speaking anything other than my idea of where the kidnappers were hiding."

"Okay Naruto. What happened next?" Inochi prodded.

"We started to train to combat Huun. We trained to avoid knives that Kakashi-sensei would attack us with."

 **FLASHBACK**

"Again. Naruto you cannot take the hit! I don't care if you heal quickly, that is still too much time in which you are nearly helpless! Sai! I want more force with the water attacks! You aren't splashing a kid, you are trying to kill an enemy. Sakura, if I have to take less than two swipes to get through your defenses, I will force you to bathe in kibble and run from my pack of dogs!" Kakashi yelled at his genin who stood panting, cut and bruised against the massive fortification that surrounded Tazuna's home.

"Huun will not let you live, especially if you end up wounding him!" Kakashi was panting as well. He held two scratches, each on his arms, and was tired.

"Sensei, it's been four hours! We can't keep going. Especially since Tsunami needs to go to the market tomorrow." Sakura said before she collapsed onto her backside.

"Fine, everyone, we are done for the night. Naruto, first watch, Sai, second. I'll take final. Sakura, full night of rest."

 **FLASHBACK END**

"Did you do nothing but train for the following week?" Inochi asked.

"Basically. Sai and Sakura went with Tsunami to the market the next day, and sensei escorted Tazuna as usual. I stayed at the bunker, and slept. The next four days were training, and training, and waiting."

"Was the waiting terrible?"

"It was the worst. We knew something was going to happen. We could all feel it. The kidnappings quickly got worse. First there was one villager taken, then four, then a whole household disappeared. By the end of the week, the count was at twenty-three villagers gone, and they were all a part of the rebellion movement. "

"You said that you did nothing but train. Why didn't you interfere with the kidnappings?"

"Sensei said it wasn't our mission. That we couldn't stretch ourselves like that. If we interfered and one of us got injured, the mission was done. Tazuna and his family would die, the country would fall, and we may not make it home."

"I see. How did that make you feel?"

"Frustrated. Those people needed us. And Sensei wouldn't allow us to do a thing to help them."

"What happened next?"

"The bridge was nearly finished. And that's when it happened."

 **FLASHBACK**

Naruto woke up to a scream. He darted up the stairs from the Bunker in the basement. He blasted through the doorway, a kunai ready. He froze as he saw Tsunami and Inari being held by Huun.

"Ah, hello little Leaf. I was surprised that you weren't upstairs. Is it not your duty to protect these two?" Huun asked as he cocked his head.

"Naruto, please, please save Inari. Please." Tsunami locked eyes with the blonde as tears started to fall.

"Let them go Huun. You said you didn't want to take her to Gato."

"I did say that didn't I little leaf. Rule number 18-" Huun darted backwards as he kicked his foot up knocking a chair into the path of a kunai that was headed straight for his left shoulder. With a wooden thunk the kunai sank into the wood, before it exploded into splinters from the explosive tag on the handle.

"Oh nice little leaf, you just sprayed deadly shrapnel at a shinobi who is wearing armor, holding two unprotected hostages. Very smart." Huun mocked as he looked around swiftly. Finally, he heard it, a single step, behind, fourteen degrees.

Naruto grunted as he was blasted back by a fierce back kick. Acting solely on instinct he plunged a hand into his pouch and grabbed the first weapon he had. He brought it up as swiftly as he could and groaned as his swipe was dodged.

"So you are gonna use my brother's knife little leaf? Fine. Let us see what you got." Huun locked eyes with Naruto as he threw the two unconscious hostages to the side. He slowly pulled out a single knife.

 **FLASHBACK END**

"You crossed knives with Swordbreaker Huun?" Inochi asked amazed.

"Yes. Though he played with me…"

 **FLASHBACK**

Naruto tried to block each attack as it came, and sometimes he succeeded. Most of the time however he didn't.

"Come little leaf, you can do better than this! I know you can. You knew where I was earlier, yet this is the best you got? May be I should just kill you, and those two." Huun nimbly moved to the left and plunged his knife into the forearm of Naruto. He retracted as Naruto tried to pull him closer. He watched fascinated by the steam that quickly healed the wound. "Ohhh you are one of them… things just got much more interesting."

"You will not hurt them. Leave. Now." Naruto growled as he turned the knife into a reverse grip.

"You can't touch me li-" Huun cut his sentence short as he ducked a swipe, blocked a straight kick, and slashed the knee of the leg that launched the kick.

As Naruto fell, Huun punched him to the ground, cracking the floor from the impact. Huun swiftly slammed his knife into Naruto's right shoulder, kicked the other knife of his hand, and crouched over the genin.

"You aren't bad little leaf. That is why you will live. One day, you will be great. Today however, isn't that day. So little leaf, how do you feel?" Huun mocked the gennin as he held the knife that was deep in Naruto's shoulder.

"You bastard. You think that this is going to stop me?! Ill kill you! Just you wait!" Naruto screamed at the masked man.

"Such a foul mouth. I should teach you a lesson!" Huun flexed his arm, and twisted the knife.

Naruto's screaming woke up Inari.

 **FLASHBACK END**

"He tortured you?" Inochi asked.

"No. it was only the once. After I stopped screaming, he had Inari…"

 **FLASHBACK**

Naruto's vision slowly cleared from the haze of pain. He gasped as he registered what he saw. "Inari."

Huun had a kitchen knife in his right shoulder, and Inari was being held by the throat by the masked man. "Well kid, you got guts. Real big balls. So little leaf? Should I snap his neck? Hmm?" Huun looked at the pinned shinobi. The same shinobi who stared bug eyed at the little boy, slowly turning blue from lack of essential oxygen. "Well little leaf? Does the boy die today?"

"Leave him alone!" Tsunami rushed forward, reaching for her child, when Huun backhanded her. Tsunami landed on the floor and Huun walked toward her still holding Inari up by the throat. He placed his foot on Tsunami's face gingerly.

"Well little leaf… You seem to be all out of helpers. The rest of your team is at the bridge, and you are here alone… with a choice. I snap the boy's neck, or I crush the woman's skull. Which is it little leaf?"

Naruto stared unbelieving. _How did this happen? It was supposed to be a standard mission… protection detail. Yet now… we are all going to die…_

 _ **Not yet Naruto-kun…hehe**_

Huun's eyes widened as he was hit with a blast of malicious intent. "Finally. We get to have some fun."

 **FLASHBACK END**

"Let me explain what Kakashi stated in his report of around the same time Naruto. Okay?" Inochi interrupted as he saw Naruto start to tremble.

"Okay."

"At around 1000 hours, the majority of my team and myself felt a massive malicious chakra appear from the direction of the Mark's home. We quickly rushed to intercept. As we travelled, we were pressed against, what Genin Haruno stated as, blastwaves of increasingly evil chakra.' Do you remember any of that?" Inochi asked.

"Yes. I remember everything from the battle." Came the monotone reply.

"Okay then. Continue."

 **FLASHBACK**

Huun watched as literal waves of black foul chakra erupted from the boy. The waves crashed against the sides of the house, and within moments, through them. As the home crumbled around him, Huun slashed debris and shrapnel, keeping them from touching him or his hostages.

When the house finally settled, the boy was surrounded by black pulsating chakra.

 _What are you doing?! Stop! I don't need you to interfere!  
_ _ **Stupid Naruto-kun… I don't need your approval to stretch my legs a little. I'll save the pesky little humans from the big bad shinobi…  
**_ _Stop trying to get free! I don't need you!  
_ _ **Boy, shut up and watch the show. Or do you want to fight for domination now? Hmm? Hehe I find both scenarios acceptable…  
**_ _I… I…_

The black chakra shroud cracked, then shattered into millions of fragments, that slowly were pulled inward. Huun swallowed, and grabbed the woman on the ground, shifted the boy and shunshined them to the tree line before returning to the wall around the former home. "Astounding. The charka output of that is intense. And it seems he is ready…"

Naruto stood the wound on his shoulder slowly bleeding as it steamed and healed, his blonde hair flickering between maroon and sun-kissed yellow. A knife slammed into his right arm, nearly severing it at the elbow, and the flickering of his hair stopped, and an insane giggle escaped his lips.

"Hehehe… come little human… " The arm swiftly healed, in a pulse of black chakra.

Huun's eyes met the former blonds, and he froze. The mad blood red gaze that held him paralyzed was not the gaze of a jinchuriki. Jinchuriki were not monsters like this. It was only decades of experience that allowed him to duck the punch that the thing launched.

"Hehe! Viscrag hasn't had a chance to play with anyone ever! You should be honored!" The possessed blonde swung left and right nearly lazily, as the shinobi in front of him dodged each attack.

Huun knocked a punch to the side and slammed his fist into the monstrosity's face. It flew backward before flipping in the air and landing on its feet. With those mad eyes it looked up and smiled, as a small trickle of blood ran down from is split lip.

Huun scowled as he pulled out two more knives. "Im going to put you down little leaf. This monstrosity will not be allowed to live." The silver knives flashed before Huun disappeared.

Viscrag smiled as he rolled forward, grabbed the blood covered knife that just a moment before was pinned in his vessel's shoulder and blocked an upward slash from Huun. "I can feel you little human… so much fun!" He swung a swift punch, and watched amazed as it was dodged by a hair's breath.

"You can dodge me! WONDERFUL! It will be such fun to bathe in your life's blood!"

"I can do more than that!" Huun flashed away, and a searing line of pain erupted from Viscrag's back. Another line rapidly appeared on his chest before he was kicked solidly back by a blur.

Huun stared at the body that laid several feet away. Then he began to back up.

"Hehehehe… you are fun" The thing sat up. And locked eyes with Huun.

"NARUTO! TAKE CONTROL NOW!" A voice erupted from the wall beside the two combatants.

"Copy-cat! Either stay out of it, or help me kill it. Cuz it will die here. Even if I have to rip through all of you leaves to do it." Huun called as he pushed chakra into his knives. They began to hum with small bolts of electricity jumping from them.

Before Huun could move however the thing sank to a knee. "What are you doing!? Stop that!" The thing held its head as red chakra began to bubble around it. "Stupid fox! Stop interfering! Damn brat! Let me play!" The thing's hair began to flash between red and yellow as the wisps of red chakra drug the arms to each side, and forced the entity to its knees. "Huun… I am sorry. I lost control… and this came out instead of my other tenant.""Stop talking you annoying brat… let me go fox! You aren't involved!" Two voices spoke from the young shinobi's mouth.

"Little leaf. You must learn better control… or you will be cut down." Huun spoke as he eyed Kakashi.

"Naruto, gain control. Please…" The cyclopoid shinobi softly asked his genin.

As the black chakra waves decreased, and the red chakra slowly reined the thing back in, Naruto looked at Huun. "Please, don't…"

"You never made your choice Little leaf… so I'll make it for you. See you in two days." Huun disappeared in a shunshin.

It was only Naruto's extremely sharp ears that picked up the wet crunch and snap from the woods.

 _ **AUTHOR NOTES!**_

Hey yall… I decided to update this little chapter here. This seems like the perfect spot to end it for the week, and well…Ill be honest, the next chapter is already 8000 words… so yea. In case you are wondering, the whole wave fiasco is already written.

For those who are still reading my story, thank you. For those of you who left reviews, thank you even more. For those of you who have added me to the favorites list, thank you. My finals week ends on December 10th. So, with that said… Christmas may come early for those who like my story.

From the deepest recesses of my mind,  
Zero


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